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Liberty Standout Gets Blunt About Hardest Part of Guarding Caitlin Clark

New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud sent a clear message about having to guard Caitlin Clark.
Grant Young|
Jun 14, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Jun 14, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark cooked during her team's 102-88 victory over the previously undefeated New York Liberty on June 14, as she scored 32 points on 11 of 20 shooting from the field (including 7 of 15 from three-point range) along with dishing out 9 assists and tallying 8 rebounds in 31 minutes played.

Not only was this performance impressive because it was her first game back after missing 19 days with a left quad strain, but also because she was being guarded by standout defender Natasha Cloud.

Cloud's reputation as one of the game's best defenders was improved because of how she locked Clark up (although some believe she fouled No. 22) in the final possession of the Fever and Liberty's May 24 showdown, which prompted the Liberty to earn a hard-fought win.

However, Cloud didn't have the same success on Saturday. And during a June 15 TikTok live, Cloud sent a clear message when speaking about the hardest part of guarding Clark.

“When she crosses half court, she can shoot that s***," Cloud said of Clark, per an X post from @mikeaalen112735.

Clark went on a three-point barrage at the end of the first quarter, which included some of her iconic logo deep shots. And as Cloud alluded to, there's simply nothing a defender can do when Clark catches fire, especially when it's at that type of range.

Cloud's next chance to slow Clark down on the court will come when the Fever head to New York to face the Liberty on July 16.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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