The New York Liberty escaped with a narrow 90-88 victory over the Indiana Fever on Saturday, thanks in large part to Natasha Cloud‘s late-game heroics on defense. Despite a strong overall stat line from Caitlin Clark-18 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds-her costly turnover in the final moments sealed the outcome in favor of the Liberty.
With less than three seconds remaining and Indiana trailing by two, the ball was inbounded to Clark, who stood near the top of the arc.
As she turned to initiate a move, Cloud swiped the ball cleanly, shutting down Indiana’s final chance. Clark appeared to expect a foul, but no whistle came.
After the win, Cloud spoke to the media about her strategy on that final defensive play. She revealed that her anticipation came from understanding the Fever‘s late-game tendencies and Coach Stephanie White‘s likely game plan.
“I knew they-obviously, they’re gonna go to Caitlin,” Cloud said postgame. “I knew that it was gonna be, ‘You gotta get your big dog pants on right now.'”
Cloud explained how she positioned herself to disrupt the expected action.
“The way they set up I knew she was gonna set a cross screen. I knew that Coach White was hoping that. I bumped on that cross screen to allow her to get open on the down screen. I knew my help was on the backside, so I didn’t bump. I top-locked her, so she couldn’t come off so easily. I knew she was gonna go left as soon as she brought that ball up. I just poked it out.”
Defensive awareness lifts Cloud and Liberty in thriller against Fever
While Clark tallied an impressive double-double, her 10 turnovers and 2-for-11 performance from beyond the arc underlined a frustrating night. That final play, in particular, was a stinging end to what could have been a game-tying or winning moment.
Cloud, meanwhile, delivered a complete performance. In addition to scoring 16 points and recording seven rebounds and six assists, she registered five steals and two blocks-both the highest totals in the game. Her ability to read the play and take decisive action made the difference down the stretch.
The Liberty‘s win keeps them among the top contenders in the early stages of the WNBA season, while the Fever continue to navigate the highs and lows of building around a rising star in Clark.
Cloud‘s poise under pressure and deep understanding of her opponent sent a clear message: experience and preparation remain just as valuable as star power.
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