Nearly 30 days after WNBA free agency began on April 6, veteran guard Natasha Cloud has a home.
On Monday, the Chicago Sky signed Cloud to a one-year deal. Per The Athletic, the deal is reportedly worth $555,000.
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“Natasha is one of the best passers and defenders in our league,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said via release. “She fits in with the other proven winners on our roster.”
Cloud, a 10-year WNBA veteran, spent the 2025 season with New York Liberty, averaging 10.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals. Before joining the Liberty, Cloud had a one-year stint with the Phoenix Mercury. Over the course of her 38 starts with Phoenix, she averaged 11.5 points, 6.9 assists and 1.4 steals. She also earned All-Defensive Second Team honors.
Cloud, a 2019 WNBA champion, also spent eight seasons with the Washington Mystics before arriving in Phoenix. With the Mytics, she started 204 games and became the all-time franchise leader in assists (1,258) while ranking fourth in steals (236).
Cloud’s free agency journey to Chicago didn’t come without speculation about why it took so long.
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When the veteran went unsigned after the height of free agency and was also largely quiet on the matter, online talks grew, with many people surmising that she was unsigned because of her well-documented stances on social justice issues. However, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb dispelled that notion.
“What she stands for is what I stand for. I believe in speaking up for the voiceless. There is no better body of that than Natasha Cloud,” Kolb said on April 26. “So I just want to get those narratives out there.”
The same day, Cloud took to social media to advocate for herself, saying that her choosing to remain mum on the matter was “intentional” and that she would continue to work. “I know who I am. I know my value/worth,” she said on Threads. On Monday, once the Sky signing became official, Cloud posted the news along with Kanye West’s song “Homecoming” to her Instagram story.”They can’t starve who God feeding,” Cloud wrote.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Natasha Cloud signs with Chicago Sky after almost 30 days in limbo
