CHICAGO -- Natasha Cloud was in tears on the phone. A chaotic offseason that included contentious and prolonged collective bargaining between the WNBA and its players resolved abruptly and had given way to a shortened offseason.
After the new CBA was agreed upon March 20, the free agency negotiation period began just over two weeks later and the draft was held seven days after that. Excitement turned to worry, which led to serious concern.
This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Shortly before the negotiation period opened, Cloud parted ways with her agent due to different perspectives.
And the start of what Cloud described as the "hunger games" loomed -- with nearly every player not on a rookie deal a free agent with millions in new money available. But the market wasn't exactly what the 34-year-old expected for a former WNBA champion, a player who once led the league in assists and a three-time All-Defensive Team selection who has started every game she has played since 2018.
Training camp opened and Cloud was still unsigned. In the midst of it all, former WNBA teammate Izzy Harrison connected Cloud with her agent, Fabio Jardine.
And the tears streamed. Everything bubbled to the surface in that moment as self-doubt overflowed for someone who never seems to lack confidence.
"There was a point where I had my breakdown, my little moment," Cloud told ESPN. "Yeah, I didn't know if I was going to play in the W again.
"It shakes your confidence for a little bit." Finally, two weeks into training camp, Cloud landed with the Chicago Sky , starting over with her fourth team in as many seasons. After being traded from the Phoenix Mercury and getting just one season with the New York Liberty , her opportunities to win another title appeared to be declining, but Cloud found an unexpected companion in Year 11.
The Sky and general manager Jeff Pagliocca were looking to overhaul the roster, including trading away two-time all-star Angel Reese , but had no interest in starting from scratch. Despite the Sky having not posted a winning record since 2022, Pagliocca hoped to compete immediately.
Circumstances brought the two parties together in a time of need for both. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER loss for the Sky.
Chicago had just dropped its fifth straight game in what would be a 1-11 stretch, and Cloud lost her cool. A couple of support beams holding up curtains in a cordoned off area took the brunt of her fury as she kicked one piece and ripped another off its base.
The Sky, who are 7-14 and currently slot as a lottery team, opened the season with four new starters and nine newcomers, not including the organization's all-time leading scorer, Courtney Vandersloot , who was still recovering from ACL surgery at the time. This wasn't a rebuild with youngsters still getting used to life in the league.
That's not how Pagliocca wants to operate. As long as he's at the helm, there are no plans for a multiyear rebuild.
This offseason, Pagliocca traded for Rickea Jackson , the No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft.
He also signed Jacy Sheldon . Skylar Diggins , DiJonai Carrington , Azura Stevens and Cloud as free agents.
Even after trading Reese for a pair of first-round picks, these moves were made with postseason expectations in mind. And early on, there was optimism.
The Sky opened the season 3-1 and Jackson looked like the Most Improved Player front-runner. But everything changed when she was lost for the season with a torn ACL in the fourth game.
"It was a gut punch," Pagliocca told ESPN. "There's no predicting a possibly generational player going down." Trying to build chemistry with so many new players was always going to be a challenge, and that's before having limited practice time with everyone available as injuries have been a major issue in Chicago all summer.
Stevens, Vandersloot and Carrington were all out to start the season, and Carrington still hasn't returned. Rookie Gabriela Jaquez , who has started all but two games she has played, missed four games with a knee injury.
Outside of the injuries, there has been movement within the roster as coach Tyler Marsh tries to find the right combinations. Cloud came off the bench her first two games, started six in a row and then was moved back to a reserve role.
Rookie Sydney Taylor began the season on the bench but has started eight straight games. Through it all, the Sky rank No.
9 in points per game (86.2) and No. 11 in points allowed per game (88.8).
The biggest shake-up of the season came wh