Natasha Cloud’s honest ‘iron sharpens iron’ Sky admission will catch fans’ attention appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
PHOENIX– Natasha Cloud’s style hasn’t changed, even if the team and the city around her have. The charismatic, accountable, and personable guard had quite an interesting offseason before landing with the Chicago Sky.
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After competing in Unrivaled, she found herself on the outside looking in. The New York Liberty didn’t re-sign her, leaving her without a team until May 4, until the Sky signed Cloud.
With her signing five days before the first regular-season game, there was a lot to pick up on. Offensive and defensive philosophies, chemistry with teammates, the city itself, but one thing never wavered: her purpose.
That purpose becomes a passion, and everyone within the organization feels it. Having won a championship in 2019 with the Washington Mystics, she was one of the clear leaders.
It carried over into her stints with New York, the Phoenix Mercury, and now Chicago. Her previous two teams were layered with veterans. Fast forward to 2026, and there’s a healthy mix, to Cloud’s approval.
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“As much as I’ve been with vets, and that’s been a blessing to my growth and continuing to sharpen my craft, but now I come into this situation in the latter part of my career, I know I have a lot to give to the game, but I know I have a lot to give to these other players too,” Cloud explained pregame to reporters.
“I think a lot of times in this league we can look at vets against younger players, and that’s not it. We’re both iron sharpens iron.”
The Sky adding Natasha Cloud highlights what they want
Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
With a 2-1 record to open the season, they’ve exceeded expectations. Chicago’s identity is on defense, and something that Cloud only emphasized during her time with reporters.
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Most importantly, it’s the feeling of being valued. By her previous two teams, that value came when it was needed, but not sustained.
When the Sky constructed their roster, they aimed for a championship pedigree, which head coach Tyler Marsh knew was a luxury.
“There’s a level of, with championship experience, comes the mindset of being willing to do whatever it takes to win, and I think that is part of the character that we want… when you’re part of championship teams, you understand what sacrifice means and what overcoming adversity means,” Cloud said.
Natasha Cloud is loving her role with the Sky
A change of pace can always come unexpectedly. As soon as the Sky signed Cloud, the fit was the top question. On a team loaded with defensive-minded guards like Skylar Diggins and DiJonai Carrington, it only amplified those concerns.
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Most importantly, this was a chance to really pour back into the game. Cloud emphasized the lack of a veterans-versus-young-players dynamic and that communication is the common denominator.
But again, the perpetual positivity and the realism Cloud displays weren’t all there before landing in Chi-town. She wrestled with what is next, what her home will be, and how she will give to the game that has provided her with so much.
Everywhere she’s gone, she’s been a near hometown hero. After her warmups, she signed autographs for nearly 10-15 minutes before starting her media scrum.
The jovial personality meets the competitive “dog” that steps onto the court. But both of those vanished when watching players sign with teams during the offseason. During that process, she leaned on more than trust in herself.
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“When you put in some of these predicaments, it can bring anxiety and fears and all those things that were really real for me, but also understanding that, for whatever reason, God wanted me to be still for a minute,” Cloud explained.
In grand fashion, that “dog” mentality came out, and it seems to be an underlying theme of this 2026 Sky team.
“I feel a lot of gratitude every time I step out on this floor. A renewed sense of everybody got me f**d up, and I’m ready to play.”
