WNBA free agency: Natasha Cloud signs two-year deal with Phoenix Mercury
Natasha Cloud has signed with the Phoenix Mercury, the team announced on Thursday.
According to The Next's Howard Megdal, it's a two-year deal worth $400,000.
“Natasha is an elite playmaker, one of the best defenders in the league and is coming off a career year as a scorer,” said Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren in a statement. “The tenacity and energy Natasha plays with, on both ends of the court, will help make our team more dynamic, versatile and competitive.”
As WNBA free agency begins Thursday, the 31-year-old guard wasted no time in selecting her new team. Cloud, a 2019 WNBA champion and member of the 2019 All-Defensive Second Team and 2022 All-Defensive First Team, has spent her entire eight-year career with the Washington Mystics after being selected second overall in the 2015 draft.
The Mystics sent a letter to season-ticket holders following the 2023 season saying the team needed a "fresh start," which signaled the departure of a number of veterans on the roster, including Cloud.
[2024 Yahoo Sports WNBA free agency preview]
Over her WNBA career, Cloud has been an impact player at both ends of the court. Last season with the Mystics, she averaged 12.7 points and 6.2 assists — both career highs — as well as 3.7 rebounds per game.
Natasha Cloud has been doing it all, this is niiiiiice pic.twitter.com/aY8xjtm2x7
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 20, 2023
Natasha Cloud has been applying defensive pressure to Sabrina Ionescu all game 😤 pic.twitter.com/QZQki80P4b
— espnW (@espnW) September 20, 2023
Cloud will be joining a Mercury team that is coming off a playoff-less season for the first time since 2012 and holds the third overall pick in April's WNBA Draft. They also have a new head coach in Nate Tibbetts and will be hosting the 2024 All-Star Game.
