Leading on and off court, Natasha Cloud is becoming a pillar of success for Mystics

WASHINGTON — The Washington Mystics are pushing to keep their current playoff spot with the loss of Ariel Atkins, Kristi Toliver, Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin to injury, leaving the team with a depleted roster.

With new lineup combinations and new faces, the Mystics could have thrown in the towel and written off a season where some of the team's veterans and star players aren't on the court.

But instead, under the leadership and star power of Natasha Cloud, the Mystics are third in the Eastern Conference and sit fifth overall in the WNBA with a 12-10 record, fresh off a 15-point win over the Phoenix Mercury. But the veteran won't take all the credit despite her hard work.

Cloud is averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, moving the ball with a precision that's so calculated, her next pass is already being made as soon as she gets it in her hands. Cloud can force defenders to cough up the ball, which she takes to the basket with ease.

In a recent loss to the Indiana Fever, Cloud did it all — scoring a team-high 19 points along with five rebounds, five assists and three steals. On top of the numbers and intensity Cloud delivers on the court, her leadership and hard work day in and day out are very apparent.

For Cloud, she knows that her elevated role as a key starter in the Mystics lineup and as a veteran new players can turn to was earned, not given.

"It's everything because I really worked my ass off, I don't think people realize how hard I've worked to be in this position. I came in as a second-round draft pick that didn't know (if) she was going to make the team or not," said Cloud.

"Quickly in that first year I was starting midway through, and from then it was like, I had to learn how to be a professional too. I was still immature, freaking out, my goofiness and all those things and just growing up, and so the first three years were a little rough for me."

In the three games since the WNBA All-Star break, Cloud has delivered three-straight 17-plus point games, adding at least four rebounds, five assists and two steals in all three appearances.

But when asked to speak about her game, Cloud always takes a Mystics-first approach, giving flowers to her teammates who she says have helped her become the player she is today.

"Once the game slowed down, I was starting to figure it out and year three Elena and Kristi actually grabbed me and were like, 'You're the future of our team, with being the point guard, and you're either gonna get it or you're not but we're not gonna let you not be great,'" said Cloud.

"So that meeting there really kind of just was a full circle moment for me of like, some of the best players in this league see greatness in potentially me, and I need to be able to see that through and I have so many things that I want to accomplish.

"Overall, I just want to be the best point guard that I can be for this team. When you talk about players like Sue [Bird], and even [Diana Taurasi], Lindsay Whalen, right now, they talk about Chelsea Gray a lot — I'm in the conversation, and I don't think that's talked about enough."

While Cloud won an NBA title with the Mystics in 2019, her coming out season was in 2022 when she earned All-Defensive First Team honours while leading all point guards in assists.

The trust and relationships Cloud has with her teammates are apparent, as she's able to make them laugh on the sidelines but also guide them on the court to help the team succeed.

"Tash is a great leader, I think everyone knows that, her energy is contagious, she comes into the locker room whether she's having a good or a bad day and spreads positive energy," teammate Queen Egbo said. "She's a great communicator, a lot of teams don't have the luxury of having a point guard like Tash who is so animated, who is so passionate about the game, who is a coach on the floor, off the floor, she's always trying to teach."

Leadership on the court is just some of what Cloud stands for, as she took the 2020 season off to focus on social reform, and has always been a player with one of the loudest voices against racial injustice, while advocating for gun reform in the U.S. capital and the rights of women and the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

"I'm just really blessed to be in the position that I am. I worked my ass off for it, but I really appreciate it," Cloud said. "Sometimes it's a really thankless position. It's a lot on my shoulders.

"It's a lot to be constant energy, and there's a lot of times I go home and I'm drained, but that's what my job is. I'm very thankful just to be in this position, blessed to be with a good group that trusts me to do it."

As the Mystics navigate the near future without some of their stars — and even when they return — Cloud will continue to be a pillar for the team's success with everything she brings to the organization.

Whether she's making a room full of media members laugh, stating her skills with confidence as she proves her worth every night on the floor, or simply doing her job as Washington's floor general and making an impact in all areas, her presence is key as the Mystics push through the second half of the season.

"The second half, there's no complacency. Even though we're down numbers, we still have everything we need in our locker room," Cloud said. "We're down numbers so that means that yes, our mistakes and our lapses and our focus, we don't have a margin for error anymore. We have to be damn near perfect, but I think we can do that."

"It's just exuding confidence into everyone, making sure everyone knows that. Yes, your number is being called, but we believe in you. Regardless, even if our players were here, and we had all five starters out, we would still believe in you coming in off the bench and it takes everybody to win a championship and we've done it before — it's hard to win a championship but you literally need every single person."

Cloud will be front and centre once again as the Mystics prepare to take on a bunch of teams near them in the standings, including the Lynx, Wings, Sparks and Dream. This coming off a win over the Mercury this past weekend in which she finished with 23 points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Cloud's vision going forward continues to be focused on not only the product she puts out on the court, but the example she sets for those around her.

"For me, it's leading by example. It's leading by vocality, and it's leading by my confidence and my voice. Even when you see me walk off in the third quarter, it's because I can't allow them to see my frustration. We're going to take my minute, I'm going to compose myself because I'm a human being and I have emotions — I'm a Pisces," Cloud laughed.

"I'm gonna come right back out and I'll be like, we (expletive) got this like we're good. In those moments, the second half until we get everyone back, I really have to be conscious of my leadership even more now."