Natasha Cloud's Status For Liberty's Finals Rematch Revealed
It'll at least be partly Cloud-y when the New York Liberty descend upon Target Center on Wednesday night.
Natasha Cloud is in the starting lineup for the Liberty's first time facing the Minnesota Lynx since their fateful Finals fracas in October. Cloud had been listed as questionable on the Liberty injury report with an illness but will at least somewhat partake in Wednesday's anticipated clash.
Head coach Sandy Brondello said that Cloud would go through pregame warmups in Minneapolis before her status was settled.
"Tasha is tough. I know that she'll give us what she can," Brondello said in her pregame availability. "I don't know how many minutes that is ... but she'll give us what she's got, and we'll take every every minute she can [give us]."
Cloud participation, no matter how brief, finally brings the Liberty some good news on the medical front, as they'll be missing All-Star Breanna Stewart and depth stars Kennedy Burke and Nyara Sabally when they face off against the Lynx on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Cloud will work in the starting five alongside Marine Johannes, as the Liberty seek to go smaller to guard against Minnesota's relentless attack at the top of the key. Johannes steps in for Isabelle Harrison, who got the start in place of Stewart during Monday's loss to Dallas. After New York fell behind by 27 at the halftime horn, Johannes stepped into the primary lineup and helped New York make the score respectable before eventually falling 92-82.
Cloud and Johannes will be joined by regular starters Leonie Fiebich, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones.
With all the medical maladies, the Liberty have now used 11 different starting lineups this season after employing just seven en route to the championship. The primary five of Cloud, Fiebich, Ionescu, Jones, and Stewart has gone 9-1 this year while all others are 8-7.
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.