Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud is set to return to the Barclays Center on Wednesday night to face her former team, the New York Liberty. Cloud, who was not retained by the Liberty in free agency earlier this year, acknowledged the unique emotions tied to the game but emphasized her focus remains on her current team, the Chicago Sky.
"I wouldn't [speak to them]," Cloud said after practice Tuesday when asked about contacting Liberty management or players. "It's about Chicago at that point. It's not about New York."
Cloud spent one impactful season with the Liberty, where she started 41 games and found a larger platform for her activism. She expressed happiness at being back in New York and appreciated the connection she felt with the fanbase. "I’m really happy to be back in New York. I’m happy to be back with this fanbase that I didn’t get a chance to say bye to, or kind of have my farewell with because of how it happened," she stated. "But I’m just really happy to be in this space, and yeah, I definitely use that as fuel and fire, but it’s another game, and it’s about the Chicago Sky and trying to get it done."
She described her time with the Liberty as a period that helped her rediscover herself both on and off the court, particularly in her activism. "New York was a really good place for my soul, for my mental. So it always feels good to be back and knowing that they had such an impression on me, and I hope that I had the same impression on them as they did me," Cloud said.
Currently, the 34-year-old guard is averaging 9.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds for the struggling Chicago Sky, who hold a 9-17 record. Cloud hopes the team can build momentum heading into the All-Star break with a strong performance against the Liberty.
"Perspective is really big for us in our locker room, so it’s not even really about New York. It’s more about us as the Sky, and the perspective is we’re two games out of ninth place right now, and so our trajectory has got to continue to go up," she explained.
Despite the personal significance of the game, Cloud maintained a professional stance on competition. "Business is business. My relationships are my relationships. My friendships over the years are my friendships. And on the court, we’re out there competing every single night, whether it’s my best friend on the floor or not. We’re gonna get the best of both of us, and when we’re done, that’s where it kind of ends," she concluded.