Liberty have no answers for ex-teammate Natasha Clouds monster night in loss to Sky
CHICAGO — Tuesday night was Natasha Cloud’s revenge game.Cloud often plays with an edge.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.
But the Sky’s 93-86 win against the Liberty was different.It seemed personal for Cloud.The fierce style that’s been a trademark of Cloud’s career had been amplified.Cloud didn’t take plays off.
She was a menace on defense, applying ample pressure whether the person she was guarding had the ball in their hands or not.On offense, she caught fire against the team that dropped her in free agency and never let up.Cloud scored a career-high 33 points on 13-for-21 shooting, including 4-for-8 from downtown.She also contributed seven rebounds and six assists to lead the Sky to their 14th win of the season and first against the Liberty.The Liberty trailed by 11 at halftime and eight entering the fourth quarter.Marine Johannes hit a go-ahead 3 with just over two minutes left in the game.Cloud split a pair of free throws to tie the game at 84 apiece at the 1:50 mark.On the next possession, Cloud pulled up from midrange to give the Sky a two-point advantage.Then, she fed Kamilla Cardoso a bounce pass for a layup to make it a four-point game.The Liberty, who lost Jonquel Jones in the first quarter with a left ankle injury, couldn’t muster up enough to steal this win.
Sabrina Ionescu’s 3 bounced off the rim.Cloud punctuated the Sky’s win by draining four free throws in the final minute with a wide grin across her face on her last trip to the line.It was clear from the jump that Cloud was locked in.In the second quarter, Cloud made back-to-back 3-pointers.Then, another ex-Liberty player, Courtney Vandersloot, drained a shot from deep of her own to give the Sky a 41-32 lead with less than four minutes in the first half.Coach Chris DeMarco called a timeout.Vandersloot and Cloud celebrated near center court with a low-five and chest bu...