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A’ja Wilson was trying to rain on the Liberty’s celebration Saturday as she helped the Aces cut the defending champs’ double-digit lead to two with less than seven minutes left.
But Natasha Cloud wasn’t going to let the Aces ruin her new team’s banner game.
Liberty guard Natasha Cloud looks to make the pass against Las Vegas on Saturday at Barclays Center. Getty Images
On the Liberty’s next possession, Breanna Stewart and Cloud performed a textbook dribble-handoff.
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Stewart took one dribble before slipping the ball to Cloud while screening Dana Evans.
Cloud then took the ball to the basket, finishing through contact.
A whistle blew, and the crowd screeched with excitement.
It was so loud Cloud thought she was called for a charge.
That sequence was one of several momentum-shifting plays Cloud made down the stretch Saturday in the Liberty’s 92-78 season-opening win against the Aces.
Cloud scored nine points and dished out three assists in the fourth quarter to finish with 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
For years, Cloud experienced how the rowdy New York crowd can shift a game’s momentum.
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But on Saturday, she benefited from it.
“It’s electrifying,” Cloud said. “When it’s on your side, it’s really refreshing and nice. But it gives you that extra energy you need. But within three, I wasn’t worried. We have enough on this team. It was just about getting stops down the stretch.”Cloud’s energy has been a spark for the Liberty. It’s early, but she’s quickly becoming the glue of the team.
Cloud is the type of guard who wreaks havoc. Aces coach Becky Hammon compared her to a “tornado,” saying how Cloud “stirs things up.”
Natasha Cloud goes strong to the basket during the Liberty’s season-opening 92-78 win over the Aces at Barclays Center on May 17, 2025. Imagn Images
If there were any concern about Breanna Stewart after she had knee surgery in March, it should’ve vanished given the three-time WNBA champion’s performance over the past week.
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Stewart, fresh off a stellar preseason debut Monday in Eugene, Ore., dropped a team-high 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting.
She also grabbed eight rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes.
“I’m definitely 100 percent,” Stewart said. “We just had a little back-and-forth with the minutes restriction, but we were in a good place. Twenty-seven [minutes] isn’t bad.”
Breanna Stewart, who scored a team-high 25 points, puts up a shot during the Liberty’s season-opening win over the Aces. Imagn Images
The Liberty’s dazzling white-and-black diamond-studded rings featured a pair of earrings hidden inside the square top of the piece.
Stewart was involved in the ring design process, but nothing could prepare her for how beautiful the final piece turned out.
“Honestly, my reaction was, ‘Wow, it’s so big,’ ” Stewart said. “It’s so big and so shiny. [My son] Theo wanted to touch it. … But there’s so many details that honestly I didn’t have a chance to look at. I want to whenever we’re done here.”
