2019 WNBA champion, 2022 WNBA assists leader, two-time All-Defensive Second Team honoree. Those are a few milestones Natasha Cloud has earned over the past decade. And yet, despite everything, an All-Star team selection had always eluded her, and 2025 was no different in that regard. But when she declared, “We’re trying to get Liberty Liberty all night,” she meant business!

Because while the All-Star roster might’ve passed her by again, Cloud still walked away with her first-ever individual WNBA trophy, ten years in. And it didn’t come easily. Standing in her way during the All-Star Skills Challenge was none other than Erica Wheeler, who has known the Indianapolis turf a little too well. But Cloud came out firing. Despite struggling with her jumper, she edged out Wheeler in the final round by just 1.1 seconds.

And that’s how she sealed the win, and the $55,000 prize, with clean passing, quick footwork, and a smooth layup. But the celebration didn’t stop with her. Cloud’s Liberty teammate Sabrina Ionescu rushed over to congratulate her, making it a banner night for the Liberty, who got their second Skills Challenge title in four years. And just moments later, Sabrina herself dropped 30 points in the final round of the three-point contest to beat Allisha Gray, cementing the night’s “Liberty Liberty” energy.

For Cloud, though, the trophy wasn’t the only win. It’s because that prize money meant something more – her first down payment on a house. “You’re gonna get that house,” she told her partner, Isabelle Harrison. But as fierce as she is on the court, she’s just as determined off it. We mean, aside from being the Liberty’s veteran guard, Cloud is also a longtime member of the WNBPA executive committee. And when she walked onto the court Friday night, she did so with more than just competition on her mind.

Just hours earlier, she had made headlines for her fiery comments ahead of a crucial CBA meeting in Indianapolis. As a vocal leader of the players’ union, she didn’t mince words: “We’re not f—- around… this is a huge CBA for us. We know our worth. We know our value. And this is us going and fighting for it.” With the current CBA set to expire on October 31, 2025, and players opting out of the last agreement in October 2024, the urgency seems real.

And that’s why Liberty’s standout has taken a central role in these high-stakes negotiations, joined by four other Liberty players, as the franchise shows deep investment in a potential turning point in league history. But while the CBA outcome remains uncertain, one thing is crystal clear!

She’s finally adjusted at Liberty…

When Natasha Cloud joined the Liberty, it wasn’t just another team change—it was a full-circle moment. That’s because the Cardinal O’Hara and St. Joseph’s alum always believed her career would somehow land in New York, and even though the road there included an unwanted trade to Connecticut, fate eventually found its way. “Sometimes I just look around, I walk into the arena — I’m like, ‘This is so crazy this is my life,’” Cloud said earlier this year. And she is putting it to good use.

Well, from day one, Cloud didn’t need to be told what she was there for. Even though she wasn’t part of last year’s title run, she celebrated her teammates’ moment with the humility of a champion who’s been there herself. During the Liberty’s season opener ring ceremony the guard proved she belonged when she lit up the floor against the Aces in the season opener with 22 points, 9 assists, and an all-around masterclass that screamed leadership.

But her story with New York hit a new high during the WNBA All-Star Weekend. And this time, it was her Liberty teammates who became the loudest cheerleaders. Sabrina Ionescu rushed to her side in celebration, while Breanna Stewart shouted her support online, writing “Tasha 💰” on X. It was Cloud’s moment to shine!