Cloud jokes 'don't guard me over half court' after viral crossover originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Natasha Cloud was in her bag during the Washington Mystics' season-opening victory over the Indiana Fever on Friday night. Her aggression early on paced the team, capping the night with 17 points and game-high six assists.
Nothing was more eye-popping, though, than the filthy crossover move she put on rookie Lexie Hull.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
Late in the first half, Hull decided to pick up the Mystics facilitator before half court. Likely, it was to draw pressure and disrupt the offensive flow as Washington was pushing toward their 19-point halftime lead.
Cloud, however, reached into her bag of tricks and put the first-year player on skates.
Based on the replay, it appears even Cloud was shocked by the sequence of events and had a delayed jump to take advantage of Hull's stumble.
"Oh, yeah, that was definitely a 'Welcome to the League' moment, but she's a great player," Cloud said postgame. "And it is what it is, just don't guard me over half court. I'm going to have to do a little somethin' somethin' to ya. Maybe now she knows to back up to the 3-point line."
Related: Mystics hope familiarity leads to fast start
Hull is one of five rookies that make up the young Fever roster. She came off the bench for seven minutes in her debut as her team scrapped through the game to ultimately lose 84-70. Hull wasn't the only one on her team experiencing any 'Welcome to the League' moments at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
And even if the message got sent to Hull - and as Cloud wants to send a message to the rest of the league - there's a ton of respect she has for the young player.
"But no those moments, obviously social media is gonna go crazy with it, but there's still a lot of love and respect for her," Cloud said.
