A’ja Wilson attempted to rain on the Liberty’s parade Saturday as she played a crucial role in helping the Aces reduce their double-digit deficit against the defending champions to just two points with under seven minutes remaining.
But Natasha Cloud wasn’t going to let the Aces ruin her new team’s banner game.
On the Liberty’s next possession, Breanna Stewart and Cloud performed a textbook dribble-handoff.
Stewart took one dribble before slipping the ball to Cloud while screening Dana Evans.
Cloud then took the ball to the basket, finishing through contact.
A whistle blew, and the crowd screeched with excitement.
It was so loud Cloud thought she was called for a charge.
That pivotal moment was one of several game-changing plays Cloud contributed during the Liberty’s 92-78 victory over the Aces in their season opener on Saturday.
Cloud scored nine points and dished out three assists in the fourth quarter to finish with 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
For years, Cloud experienced how the rowdy New York crowd can shift a game’s momentum.
But on Saturday, she benefited from it.
“It’s electrifying,” Cloud remarked. “When the energy is on your side, it’s both refreshing and invigorating. It fuels you with the extra energy needed. But even with the gap down to three, I wasn’t concerned. We have enough talent on this team. It was all about making those key defensive plays down the stretch.” Cloud’s dynamism has invigorated the Liberty. Though it’s early days, she is swiftly establishing herself as the team’s cohesive force.
Cloud is the type of guard who wreaks havoc. Aces coach Becky Hammon compared her to a “tornado,” saying how Cloud “stirs things up.”
If there were any concern about Breanna Stewart after she had knee surgery in March, it should’ve vanished given the three-time WNBA champion’s performance over the past week.
Stewart, fresh off a stellar preseason debut Monday in Eugene, Ore., dropped a team-high 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting.
She also grabbed eight rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes.
“I’m definitely 100 percent,” Stewart said. “We just had a little back-and-forth with the minutes restriction, but we were in a good place. Twenty-seven [minutes] isn’t bad.”
The Liberty’s dazzling white-and-black diamond-studded rings featured a pair of earrings hidden inside the square top of the piece.
Stewart was involved in the ring design process, but nothing could prepare her for how beautiful the final piece turned out.
“Honestly, my reaction was, ‘Wow, it’s so big,’ ” Stewart said. “It’s so big and so shiny. [My son] Theo wanted to touch it. … But there’s so many details that honestly I didn’t have a chance to look at. I want to whenever we’re done here.”
