Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. In Montgomery and Hayes, though, Cloud found companionship among others who also opted out. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. That’s a win for our community, that’s a win for every little Black girl out there, every little minority girl out there,” Tasha reflects. She’s been outspoken about gun violence, and organized a Mystics media blackout last season to call attention to it. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. Though Cloud sees Montgomery as a leader in this space and one of the pre-eminent veterans in the WNBA, she’s grown into her own presence in the league. The Converse press release stated their commitment clearly: “These systemic racial justice issues are bigger than basketball. “I don’t know where else to go from here,” she added. [20], Cloud scored 11 points in an 84–67 win against San Antonio Stars on June 29, 2016. “I’ve lived through a lot of these murders, and I’ve never seen this much support.”, That support comes not only from her business partners like Converse, but players like Montgomery and Hayes. Shortly after Montgomery made her own decision to work in the Atlanta community during the season rather than joining her Atlanta Dream teammates in Florida at the WNBA clean site, Cloud texted Montgomery a simple message: “Way to lead, PG.”. A year filled with blood, sweat and tears resulted in what every young hooper dreams of. [12] Cloud was named Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team and All- Defensive Team selection. Natasha is 6 feet tall and weighs 73 kg. ... We are proud to have her on the Converse team, are humbled to match her forfeited players salary and look forward to working together with Natasha on these issues as well as supporting her vision in this space.”. Whether you signed up for it or not, you as a professional athlete inherit that responsibility of being a role model,” Tasha says. Even through all of her accomplishments on and off the court, Tasha faces one of the toughest plights in being a Black woman in America. Natasha has a ton of personality, is a good student and fits right in with our team. subsidiary was considering paying her salary. We saw one viral disease spread across our society, and another disease—one Tasha has known to be alive and well for as long as she can remember—be exposed: racism. Cloud also finished with 26 three-pointers, a career best. [21], She suffered a left hip injury during practice at the Verizon Center.[22]. Making changes within our community, helping these kids in any facet, helping progress women’s rights in America, those are the most important things to me.”. 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Sporting AirPods in … Like turning the Mystics' arena into a voting center. Talking about her high school she studied in Cardinal O’Hara and later moved to Maryland from 2010. When it came down to whether or not she would play in the 2020 season, there was a lot on her mind beyond the game. A very courageous choice was met with swift action by Converse, who made Cloud its first WNBA athlete this summer. “For me it was, How can I be impactful in the bubble when I’m focused on winning the championship?” Tasha says. Over 50 years ago, Malcolm X spoke these famous words: “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. An opt-out clause in her contract with the Italian franchise Schio will allow Cloud — if she chooses — to stay working rather than competing overseas this winter as WNBA players often do. [15], Cloud was drafted in the 2015 WNBA draft, second round, 15th overall. One thing many can agree upon is that this time things are different, and professional athletes across the globe are making their voices heard like never before. By Natasha Cloud. She's a strong defensive player, who can play either guard spot and is a terrific passer. This has been one of the toughest decisions of my career. Natasha Cloud was on the phone with her mother, Sharon, when she saw that she was being pulled over. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Copyright 2020 SLAM Media Inc. All rights reserved. There's a lot of factors that led to this decision, but the biggest being that I am more than an athlete. Protests resumed in Louisville after a grand jury indicted one of the three police officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor. Cloud started all 34 games for the league champion Mystics in 2019 and averaged the most assists of her career as a full-time point guard. Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour. By Jill Martin, CNN. It came down to finances versus fight. “And those are the people who need it most.”.