How Natasha Cloud found her purpose on and off of the basketball court
Natasha Cloud got a new, awesome gift from some local hoopers
Natasha Cloud has a knack for getting involved in situations where basketball players are not usually called upon.
For example, remember that time she organized a media blackout to bring attention to Hendley Elementary school having bullet holes in its walls? She called out the Mayor of D.C. and a city councilman to fix the issue.
Or how about the time she attended protests in Philadelphia after George Floyd was killed by police offers? There’s also the moment she opted out of the 2020 WNBA season because of police violence against Black people.
The Mystics’ point guard is always involved in situations where basketball players are not usually called upon because she is not just a basketball player. She is so much more than that to so many people in the communities she loves. She’s always giving back.
She gave a bit more in early September when she partnered with Bleacher Report’s HighlightHER for their “Her Home Court” series to make a surprise visit to New Hope Academy’s girl’s basketball team — one of the area’s best basketball programs located in Landover, Maryland. She also partnered with Zelle to gift $5,000 to the team as they raise funds for their upcoming season.
“To team up with a company like Zelle is special. They talk that talk, but they also walk it. They actually care about the community and present opportunities to these young, Black women. That’s everything,” Cloud said.
This time, though, the community got a chance to send Cloud love right back.
There’s now a mural of Cloud painted on the back of the school. In the mural, Cloud is dashing down the court with her head up and on point. It’s filled with phrases like “Black Lives Matter,” “Be You,” and “Speak Out” — the lessons she tries to teach.
Zelle is proud to support @T_Cloud4 and @HighlightHER in their work to uplift communities. Watch for more to come soon! pic.twitter.com/PxIa5yGz98
— Zelle (@Zelle) September 16, 2021
Arielle Chambers, the founder of HighlightHER, called the mural a direct reflection of the deposits Cloud has put in with the community.
“I always say the WNBA is so important for a reason,” Chambers said. “She mentioned to the team, ‘I stood on the shoulders of my OGs, and I want y’all to stand on the shoulders of me,’ and I thought that was incredibly special. You can’t get anywhere without a support system, and she’s able to be that for the community.”
I got a chance to speak with cloud about exactly that — being a support system and how big a moment this was for her. What follows is our conversation.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
For The Win: How do you feel right now? There were so many emotions flowing for so many people as soon as you stepped out.
Natasha Cloud: It really is everything. You go through a bunch of different emotions, when they first told me that they were doing a mural I was like, “Of me?” I do everything out of the genuineness of my heart so, to get something like this, I feel like I’m doing my job and what I’m supposed to do with the platform that God gave me. This is something I’ve dreamed about as a kid, of having this amount of impact in the community that I genuinely love. For my legacy to be here for years to come. This is something I can tell my children and my children can tell their children. So it’s really everything to me.
FTW: Is this vindicating for you? When you think about all of the work you’ve done to make this community a better place?
NC: It’s a hard word to put it on, but I think when you go into this, even my job as a point guard, you know, it’s a thankless job and that you are doing things out of the genuineness of your heart. But then to be recognized on this separate level, gives you that confidence, that validation that you are doing the right thing. Because I’m not perfect. I’m going to make mistakes along this journey, but having enough impact that people are seeing me, are hearing me. This is a full-360 moment for me that shows that what I’m doing means something to people. And that has more value than any money, any WNBA contract, any championship that I could ever win. Having the impact I could have in my community.
FTW: Obviously, you knew you’d be good at basketball. But this mural is about so much more than that — it’s about being a community leader. Did you ever think that would be what you were known for?
NC: Never. Obviously, making it to the W when that happened I’m like, “OK. Cool.” And then God calls me on something else. And I really… I talk about my purpose a lot and all the rough times and all the storms that build you for your purpose. My purpose wasn’t just to win games and bring a championship to DC — it was to impact and to do what I can and to be a voice for the voiceless.
So to see this, to think about this as a kid? It’s like, no way. There’s no way. Y’all are making stuff up. It’s just another level of… I’m just grateful.
FTW: The things you do here in the city mean a lot to a lot of people, obviously. This is tangible evidence. But I wonder for you to be here for the seven years and leave the impact on this city that you didn’t necessarily grow up in, how does that feel for you?
NC: When you come in as a rookie you’re just trying to get adjusted. It helped me being at Maryland — I felt comfortable. So coming back, I felt comfortable off rip. I felt embraced off rip.
And when I started speaking up people were like, “Hold on, you’re not from here.” But I was never trying to act like I was. I’m here to listen to y’all. I’m here to listen to what you need, and I’m here to utilize my resources and help. And once people started seeing that, it was like, “She’s not only talking that talk, she’s walking it, too.” And so when you can do that and you can have people trust you, that means more than anything.
The fact that a librarian came to me from Hendley Elementary School because three bullets had penetrated her building and no one helped her, she came to me as a last resort. And, for me, that means everything. It’s that trust.
FTW: That story is so powerful. As a native of the area, it perfectly embodies what you’ve meant to folks from here. I mean, you called out the mayor. A city councilman. That’s huge.
NC: Oh, yeah. I’m not shy. Let’s get to the point. My parents did a great job in raising us and, you know, it doesn’t matter if it’s a CEO, a janitor, whatever it may be, you treat everyone with the same respect until they don’t treat you with that respect.
So I just approach everyone with genuine love and care and genuineness and I think that’s what allows people to open up to me.
But I’m also very blunt. I don’t like beating around the bush — let’s just get to the point. Because while we’re tiptoeing around things people are dying out here. And we don’t have time to give and don’t have time to spare.
I also challenge a lot of athletes because I think we think a lot about the repercussions of what could happen when we speak out. And when I called the mayor out I was fully aware of what that could potentially do to my career. I was fully aware of what sitting out the 2020 season could do to my career. But I trusted that God would always give back to me because I was always making decisions out of the genuineness of my heart.
So that always sits in the back of my mind. I’m not going to be scared to speak up because of what could happen. I’m going to do it because I know that something can be done.
FTW: What would be your final message for the team before you today and young women, young people, who see this?
NC: Whatever your dreams are, that they know its attainable simply because they see me. Just like how I knew my dream was attainable because I saw people like Dawn Staley and Lindsey Whalen and Sue Bird. I saw myself in all of them and so I hope I inspire them not only on the court, but moreso, off the court.
Because the ability and the power they have to change their community, I don’t think they realize yet. And so I hope I inspire them to own that power and utilize it.