Natasha Cloud's Technical Foul Sparks Liberty's Comeback
BROOKLYN - Sometimes, a game changes not with a highlight play, but with a burst of emotion. For the New York Liberty, that moment came midway through the second quarter of Sunday's comeback victory against the Atlanta Dream.
Natasha Cloud scored just two points, but it was her passion that flipped the script. Down 19 points in the second frame and struggling to find rhythm on the offensive end, Cloud was hit with a technical foul - and it changed everything.
Moments earlier, Sabrina Ionescu was visibly upset after getting hacked on one end without a whistle blown, only to watch Breanna Stewart get whistled for similar contact seconds later on the defensive end. Tensions were boiling for the Liberty, and that's where Cloud stepped in.
Frustrated by the physical play, and questionable foul call on Stewart, Cloud let her fiery emotions out, picking up the technical that could've easily gone to Ionescu.
Sabrina Ionescu absolutely furious after she got hacked on one end before Breanna Stewart got charged with the exact same call on the other.
— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) July 13, 2025
Natasha Cloud falls on the sword and gets the technical in Ionescu's place. Allisha Gray misses it but hits the two others awarded on the…
“As soon as she got the tech, I knew it was going to turn for us,” said Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu. “We kind of had that energy we needed. Our goal was to try and get it under ten before half but being able to see how much we cut the lead going into halftime — the momentum kind of shifted our way. And I think that’s huge. When you’re down 19, it can go one of two ways: you can dig a deeper hole or climb out of it before it’s too late. Really happy to see how we stuck together.”
Right after the tech, the Liberty went on a 6-0 run. The defensive intensity stepped up, the energy shifted, and the ball started move. By halftime, Liberty trimmed a 19-point deficit to just 11. They would go on to complete the comeback and secure their second comeback win over Atlanta this season.
“I think sometimes you get a technical foul, and we’re all mad at what happened two times in a row and not getting [the call],” said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. “They were getting the calls down the other end — that can provide energy for your teammates out there. So, you know, being intentional with that, that’s always good. But Tash is always going to play with passion, whether she’s on the floor or off, and that’s why she’s so important to what we want to do.”
The Liberty's emotional turnaround, sparked by a tech, is an example of the kind of fire and passion it takes to defend their title on the biggest stage. It was the kind of leadership that doesn't show up on the stat sheet but continues to prove why Cloud is the best to do it.
Brooklyn-based sports journalist and digital creator. Telling stories through hoops while covering the New York Liberty.