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The WNBA has seen unprecedented growth and attention in recent seasons.
New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud reflected on how players have wielded the league’s growing influence, particularly during the 2020 season. That year marked the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, while incidents of police brutality sparked protests for social justice and equality across the United States, bringing to the fore the height of the Black Lives Matter movement.
That summer, in Florida’s biosecure bubble, WNBA players used their platforms to show activism. Cloud was among those who spoke.
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New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) during a game against the Golden State Valkyries at Barclays Center on May 29, 2025 in Brooklyn, New York. (John Jones/Image Images)
She credited WNBA players for being leading voices and helping preserve democracy in America at a crucial time.
“I just wish that during this time we had a little more voices from our league because there was a point where we saved democracy in 2020 and no one wants to give us that, but you were one of the leaders that led that and you did it in a very loud and tough, but very subtle and elegant way,” Cloud said during a recent appearance on “A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe.”
New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) warms up before a game against the Seattle Storm at Barclays Center on July 6, 2025 in Brooklyn, New York. (John Jones/Image Images)
He added: “It really galvanized and shocked the sports world to do the same thing, and put pressure on people.”
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While Cloud sees 2020 as a signature year, she also expressed concern about the decline she’s seen in promotion in today’s WNBA.
Natasha Cloud (9) of the New York Liberty dribbles the ball against the Chicago Skyline during the first half at Barclays Center on August 21, 2025 in New York City, New York. (Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
“Every part of activism is important,” Cloud said. “I just don’t want to lose that as a W because we’ve always been ahead of the curve, and I would say in the last two or three years we’ve seen us step back to obviously protect our families and how we provide for our families.”
Cloud averaged 10.1 points and 5.1 assists per game in his first season with Liberty. She joined the Phoenix Mercury in 2024 and spent the first eight seasons of her WNBA career with the Washington Mystics.
