Liberty's Natasha Cloud a ball of fire on court, in locker room

This is Natasha Cloud, regularly trying to slash to the basket and score or find an open friend:

“If I’m not being aggressive at the rim, if I’m not putting pressure on defenses to commit to me, then I’m doing a disservice to all my teammates around me.”

And this is Natasha Cloud, always trying to bring those teammates together, a ball of energy rolling into the locker room:

“Whether that’s me walking in and yelling every morning, whether I have it or not, ‘Good morning!’ You try and conversate with everyone.”

And this is Natasha Cloud, unafraid to share her views on the state of the nation:

“There’s right and wrong. There’s 60 years of progress that we’re about to rewind.”

The most important new acquisition for the defending WNBA champion Liberty team that opens its season Saturday at Barclays Center brings a lot of things.

The 33-year-old point guard from the Philadelphia suburbs provides ball handling, driving, shooting, passing, defense and a tough edge on the court and leadership, vibrance and a jolt of pure energy for the team fabric. And she’s an outspoken social justice advocate.

She may have a word bleeped here or there. But Cloud will be an energetic, high-decibel, authentic presence on a team in search of a confetti-filled repeat and will be a 5-10 complement to Sabrina Ionescu in the backcourt.

“I’m here for the good vibes and a little bit of toughness, too,” Cloud said. “They were already as tough as (expletive). Just have to add a little bit of Philly to it.”

Breanna Stewart sees value in her energetic approach, not to mention her game.

“I think what Tash has brought us — she’s very loud and vocal, but in all seriousness, giving that energy, that spark and just bringing the versatile player that she is to what we have,” the two-time MVP said.

The loud Cloud does believe her personality “is welcomed” here. It’s just her being her real self.

“I think one of the first three days I came, Olaf (Lange, an assistant coach) said, ‘How long can you sustain this?’ ” Cloud said. “I was like, ‘This is me. So I’m sorry in advance. I’m probably going to get on your nerves. But this is the energy all the time.’ ”

Before their opener against Las Vegas, the Liberty will participate in a ceremony to celebrate the franchise’s first league title. Cloud, who won a WNBA championship in 2019 with Washington, is bent on trying to help double the total this year.

“It’s really hard to win a (expletive) championship,” she said. “I know everyone, that’s their goal when we set out for every season, is to win a championship. But to actually be one of those two teams in the Finals, it’s a grueling season.

“So, if anything, I came into an already well-oiled machine. What I add is new freshness. I add something that I think they lacked last year. Sab did a phenomenal job with the ball in her hands, but for her to really be successful and give to our team, she needs to be off-ball a lot, too.”

The Mystics made Cloud a second-round pick out of Saint Joseph’s in 2015. She played eight seasons with them before signing with Phoenix last year.

The Mercury dealt her to Connecticut in February, and the Liberty sent two first-round picks to the Sun for her in March.

“I think Tash is a leader,” Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb said. “… Tash is a giver.”

Cloud said she “cried like a baby” over this trade, just feeling “ecstatic.” She had almost signed with the Liberty twice before, including last year.

“We tried to get her for many years,” coach Sandy Brondello said. “We finally worked it out so she could come. … This is one of the greatest perimeter defenders I’ve ever seen in the WNBA.”

She has made All-Defensive first team once and second team twice. Her career averages are 8.6 points and 5.3 assists, including 11.5 points and 6.9 assists — third in the league — in 2024. She led the league in that latter category in 2022.

“She’s won at the highest level,” Ionescu said. “She is a champion. She’s hungry to go out and win another one. And so we know offensively, defensively, in every kind of aspect, she’s going to come out and bring us her utmost effort, intensity and grit, and we need that from her.”

Cloud’s personal goals are simple — make her first All-Star team and yes, win another title.

“I think I’ve moved a lot in the last three years, but my goal is to always just remain the same person that I am,” she said. “And I just want to add to this team. Whatever it is that I need to give on any single night, that’s just my job.”