For a moment, Natasha Cloud’s unsigned status was the talk of the internet. As one of the WNBA’s most outspoken veterans, her unsigned status fueled online speculation that her politics, activism and willingness to challenge the league publicly had made teams hesitant to sign her, with some fans drawing comparisons to Colin Kaepernick.
But her recent signing with the Chicago Sky complicates that theory.
The move ends Cloud’s surprising wait on the market and gives the Sky a proven defender and locker-room presence as they continue to reshape their roster. Yet, her new deal does not erase the larger conversation about how outspoken women, especially Black women, are treated in sports. But in this particular case, the simplest answer may be the most practical one of roster math, salary math and timing. Cloud got picked up. The blackballing theory, at least for now, does not hold.
Chicago added Cloud while waiving second-year guard Hailey Van Lith, the former first-round pick whose WNBA start never quite settled in with the Sky. This alone is a story in itself. Van Lith came into the league with name recognition, was a college star, an Olympian and had a built-in following. But being famous is not the same as being indispensable, especially on a team still trying to decide what it wants to be.
Cloud, meanwhile, gives Chicago something real: edge, defense, organization and a veteran presence in the backcourt. Her résumé made her availability feel strange. Last season with the New York Liberty, she averaged 10.1 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 41 games. She is a tone-setter. She competes. She talks that talk. She competes. All of this is integral for a Sky team looking to build a new identity post, Angel Reese.
That does not mean Chicago’s move is simple.
The Sky are guard-heavy. Cloud joins a backcourt mix that already includes Skylar Diggins, Courtney Vandersloot, Rachel Banham, Jacy Sheldon, and DiJonai Carrington. Adding Cloud makes the team tougher, gives them plenty of options and potentially headaches as they sort out minutes for guard.
So will it stick?
It can, if Cloud becomes the connector instead of just another name in a crowded backcourt. Cloud can provide that. Inevitably, somebody’s minutes are going to shrink, and fans need to prepare that Chicago may not be done making decisions.
For now, Cloud has a team, the internet has one less theory to chase, and the Sky has a more interesting problem than they had yesterday.