Sue Bird Notes Factors That Could Be Keeping Natasha Cloud Unsigned

One of the more interesting women's basketball stories to follow in recent weeks has been veteran guard Natasha Cloud remaining unsigned in the WNBA.

Given that Cloud was a starter on the New York Liberty last season and has proven to be a productive guard for years, the fact that she still hasn't found a home is surprising. And some within the community believe it's because she's outspoken about her opinions regarding certain social justice and political matters.

Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb addressed why his team didn't re-sign Cloud, and his sentiment conveyed that it's a matter of roster construction and cap space rather than anything to do with Cloud as a person. Cloud has also addressed the matter with a Threads post last week that read, "I have yet to speak. That’s intentional & my power. I’ve just worked. No sulking, no whining. Work. & I will continue to work as I always have. Proving myself right year, after year, after year. (11) to be exact. I know who I am. I know my value/worth. & ain’t nothing traditional."

New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Sue Bird Speaks on Natasha Cloud Free Agency Situation

WNBA legend Sue Bird spoke about Cloud's circumstance during an April 30 episode of her "A TOuch More" podcast.

“I personally don’t want to live in a world where Natasha Cloud is being punished for being outspoken. It is not what our league has been built on," Bird said. "In fact, being outspoken is part of the fabric of our league; It’s what connects us to our fan base.

”Actually, Tash is a great example of that. We've actually changed the world. I'm not even joking. Yes, we've changed things for our league, but I think that has trickled into the actual society that we live in. And it's what has gotten us to where we are today. So for me, that would be the antithesis of the WNBA's identity for Tash to be blackballed in this way," Bird continued. She later noted the aforementioned social media post that Cloud made.

.@T_Cloud4 we are here for you 🫶 pic.twitter.com/3PRBOcLUpF
— A Touch More (@atouchmore) May 2, 2026

Bird didn't say explicitly whether she believed that Cloud was being "blackballed" for being outspoken in the podcast. But right after these comments, she did note that having a hard salary cap in the WNBA has dictated veteran players' opportunities.

She then added, "I think the reality is, a player like Tash, specifically, is a player who probably has specific desires when it comes to being on a contender, when it comes to playing time, when it comes to compensation. And that's because she is an established vet in her 11th year, and has 100% earned those desires. But what that does is, the way this is set up, is it just narrows your market."

So while Bird didn't directly say whether she believes Cloud remaining unsigned of because she's outspoken, it seems that she's leaning toward it being a salary cap matter.

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