So typically in its 28-year existence, the WNBA — from its gamers, to guidelines and play kinds — have been instructed by the basketball world to take notes from the NBA.
The cliche is outdated, outdated and only a lazy argument utilized in conversations the place not a lot data of the WNBA is current.
It’s time for the NBA — extra particularly New York’s greatest franchise — to take notes from its crosstown counterparts: the New York Liberty.
With the Knicks getting into an offseason with some uncertainty, the entrance workplace might take some cues from the Liberty’s earlier offseason strikes.
The principle one being the acquisition of 33-year-old, two-way guard Natasha Cloud.
Cloud, a former champion who repeatedly ranks among the many high of the league in assists and defensive stats, was undoubtedly an enormous addition for the Liberty.
However it’s her unwavering management, fixed self-assertiveness and self-appointed accountability to carry teammates accountable that has helped set the Liberty other than the remainder of the elite WNBA groups.
The Knicks — even in a 12 months the crew reached the Jap Convention Finals for the primary time in 25 years — appeared to lack that form of management for everything of the common season and postseason push.
The 2025 offseason aim for Leon Rose’s entrance workplace? Go get themselves a Natasha Cloud.
“We did not anticipate that Tash Cloud would be available this past offseason,” Liberty basic supervisor Jonathan Kolb mentioned final month. After an preliminary proposal with the Solar bought declined, the Liberty later acquired Cloud in alternate for draft compensation from Connecticut through commerce in March.
“That was a player we’ve had circled for a long time. We are always chasing some players that we’ve had interest in, and it takes a long time to acquire those players. Tash we identified some years ago for the for what she will bring, what she will bring on court for us is two-way play… I think Tash is a leader. She leads not only by example, but with her voice. Tash is a giver. I can’t even tell you, well, you’ll know when Tash is in the room and it’s a wonderful thing. She’s a true connector.”
Cloud joined the crew months after the Liberty gained its first-ever WNBA championship. The roster already included superstars deployed by head coach Sandy Brondello that carried the franchise previous the Minnesota Lynx in an exciting five-game WNBA Finals: two-time MVP and six-time All-Star Breanna Stewart; 2021 MVP and five-time All-Star Jonquel Jones; and three-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu.
The crew additionally featured a bench that ranked first within the league in plus-minus all through the 2024 common season.
“We have obviously our big three leading their way and Tash just kind of covers the holes where we need,” mentioned Brondello.
Kolb knew one thing was lacking. Staying complacent after profitable a championship wasn’t an possibility. They wanted a frontrunner to get the crew again on observe when issues go awry. And so they wanted somebody prepared to sacrifice for the betterment of the general crew.
“And so when you look at all of those qualities, and you look at our current roster, Tash amplifies what we already have.”
The return on Cloud’s funding confirmed dividends as early as coaching camp. From Day 1, Cloud was heard loud and clear on the Barclays Heart apply courtroom. Her addition to the roster introduced in a starvation that didn’t enable the Liberty to begin the season with a championship hangover.
The crew began the title protection 8-0, the very best begin in Liberty historical past.
Earlier than Cloud, there have been moments the Liberty regarded misplaced, equally to the Knicks all through the 2024-25 season.
Regardless of the firepower, the Liberty struggled with sputtering offense because the superteam fashioned in 2023. Within the early elements of the 2024 season, second-half droughts led to losses and tight wins to groups they’ve ought to’ve taken care of simply. Placing collectively a collective 48-minute efficiency alluded them.
The identical situation plagued the Knicks even with the additions of All-NBA heart Karl-Anthony Cities and premier 3-and-D wing Mikal Bridges becoming a member of a roster that included All-Star captain Jalen Brunson and one other premier wing OG Anunoby.
At occasions, you didn’t know what crew you had been getting. It might’ve been a crew that includes historic offensive performances that shined in Madison Sq. Backyard or a stagnant ball-watching group of gamers leaning on the heroics of Clutch Participant of the Yr Brunson.
There have been moments throughout the season the place Cities — a generational offensive expertise who possess probably the very best three-point shot of any heart in NBA historical past — couldn’t become involved sufficient. It took an 0-2 Jap Convention deficit to the Pacers — a Sport 3 efficiency that noticed Brunson miss high-leverage minutes resulting from foul bother — for the crew to understand Cities went underutilized. What adopted was a dominant 20-point fourth-quarter efficiency en path to six-point win.
Humorous sufficient, the identical situation revolved round Jones and the Liberty since her arrival to New York. Brondello’s crew capabilities greatest with Jones on the No. 1 possibility in any offensive set. The massive admitted she struggled with staying engaged in video games in earlier seasons with the Liberty, however that hasn’t proven a lot in 2025.
The distinction ? There’s a transparent Liberty identification. The Knicks struggled to search out theirs.
It led to the Pacers to defeat the Knicks within the Jap Convention Finals, a collection the place the Knicks nonetheless looked for an identification by making an attempt a brand new beginning lineup and new rotations far too late within the season. That too contributed to the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Losing this game, we felt really confident coming in,” Knicks guard Miles McBride mentioned after getting eradicated in Sport 6 of the Jap Convention Finals. “Overall this season — like I said — it felt like a lot of stuff throughout the year got exposed now.”
There’s a transparent identification with Cloud operating the present at level guard. They lean on protection to jumpstart fast offense. And within the halfcourt, a five-out offense with Cloud — and the remainder of the Liberty’s weapons — forces opposing groups to make robust choices on the courtroom whereas defending in area.
Not does Jones go possessions with out getting the basketball. And all her touches don’t come 22 toes away from the basket.
The Liberty’s early a part of the season has proven no lengthy lapses in video games.
Cloud brings intangibles that had been as soon as lacking from the New York hoops groups. And she or he even proved to be a finisher, getting two late stops, together with a strip on Indiana’s Caitlin Clark in final month’s 90-88 highway win over the Fever.
“I want to be a part of that standard,” mentioned Cloud, who entered Wednesday second within the WNBA in assists (6.9) whereas averaging 10.9 factors, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per sport. “It’s really hard to win a championship, and every piece is so important to that success. So I just want to be a part of it. That’s all I wanted to do, was add to this organization.”
Now the Knicks should discover that participant who can get the crew over the hump. Doing so will take some artistic maneuvering because the Knicks don’t have a lot cap area to work with getting into the 2025 offseason. Leaders and impression gamers shall be on the transfer with the NBA panorama destined to shift as a number of groups look to dump wage whereas avoiding the penalties of the second apron.
The Knicks don’t essentially must make a transfer for a big-name famous person. It might even be a deal that goes below the radar amidst the upcoming offseason frenzy.
However the aim is to discover a Natasha Cloud.
