Natasha Cloud remains unsigned less than two weeks before the WNBA season, with Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb pushing back on speculation about why she has no team.
Less than two weeks before the WNBA season tips off, three-time All-Defensive Team selection Natasha Cloud is still without a team, and New York Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb wants to make clear that public speculation about why has gotten out of hand.
Speaking to reporters at the Liberty's media day on April 26, Kolb pushed back on suggestions that Cloud's outspoken activism on social and political issues has cost her opportunities around the league.
"There's a lot out there right now that I'd just like to dispel," Kolb said. "She's a phenomenal teammate. She's a phenomenal basketball player. She belongs in the WNBA. What she stands for is what I stand for. I believe in speaking up for the voiceless. There is no better embodiment of that than Natasha Cloud."
Kolb explained the Liberty's decision not to bring Cloud back came down to free agency timing. New York signed Satou Sabally to a two-year, $1.7 million contract, a move that effectively closed the door on a Cloud return.
The Athletic's Annie Costabile reported that Cloud is not being blackballed and is expected to sign with a WNBA team this season. She added reporting from sources that portrayed Cloud's status as being unsigned as being caused by normal free agency circumstances.
Cloud switched agents during free agency, a move that may have factored into a disconnect between her and the market as other players were getting deals done.
Cloud, 34, is entering her 11th WNBA season. She averaged 10.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 41 games for the Liberty in 2025 and helped New York to a franchise-best 9-0 start. Her career averages of 8.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across 327 games include the seventh-highest assist average in league history.
Cloud has mostly stayed quiet on her situation, posting brief messages on Threads on April 19 and again Sunday night.
"I'm okay. Just taking things in, even if they weren't what I expected, and trusting I'll be alright," Cloud wrote.
The 2019 WNBA champion has long expressed a preference for staying in New York, calling the city home during last summer's All-Star Weekend.