Natasha Cloud Remains Unsigned Five Days Before 2026 WNBA Season
natasha cloud was still without a team five days before the 2026 WNBA season, and Sue Bird pushed back on the idea that she is being punished for being outspoken. Bird said, "I personally don’t want to live in a world where Natasha Cloud is being punished for being outspoken."
Sue Bird On Cloud
Bird tied that view to the league itself. She said being outspoken is part of "it’s what connects us to our fan base" and warned that punishing a player for it would "will be the antithesis of the WNBA identity."
Those comments landed while Cloud remained unsigned after finishing the 2025 WNBA season as the New York Liberty’s starting point guard. She started all 41 regular-season games and averaged 10.1 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game.
Liberty Decision On Cloud
The Liberty chose not to bring Cloud back after that season. General manager Jonathan Kolb said the decision was purely a basketball and roster construction call, and that it was unrelated to her activism or political views.
Kolb described her as a "phenomenal basketball player" and an "awesome human being." Cloud, 34, had about 11 years in the league when she posted on Threads: "I have yet to speak, that’s intentional." She added, "I’ve just worked. No sulking, no whining, just work, and I will continue to work as I always have, proving myself right year after year…"
Reaction Around Cloud
Bird’s comments sparked immediate reactions, with fans responding from multiple directions to her video. Some argued there may be more valid explanations for why Cloud remains unsigned. Others offered context around why the controversy may not be as clear-cut as it has been framed, while some hoped she would find a home before the season tips off.
For now, the central fact is blunt: a player who started every game for the Liberty last season is still on the market with the season days away. That makes the next roster move around Cloud the only thing that can change the story on the floor.
