Skip to main content
Long champions of social justice, black athletes say their voices are needed now more than ever

FOR WNBA veteran Natasha Cloud, speaking up about social justice is just as important as winning basketball games.

Cloud has had a successful nine-year pro career that includes a WNBA championship and being the career-assists leader for her former Washington Mystics. She has also used her platform for social justice advocacy — from sitting out the 2020 WNBA season to focus on community reform efforts, to joining protests after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

If winning “is all I do with my career, then I have failed,” said Cloud, who now plays for the Connecticut Sun. “Who would I be to not utilise practice time and camera time and all these things to create change within the communities that mean the most to me?”

Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Music Review / 17 January 2023
17 January 2023
Theatre Review / 12 December 2022
12 December 2022
Theatre Review / 8 September 2022
8 September 2022
While the subject matter is sobering and serious, this isn't your run-of-the-mill polemic, write INDIE PURCELL
Book Review / 21 August 2022
21 August 2022
An absolute must for those who love film and graphic novels, writes INDIANNA PURCELL
Similar stories
Opinion / 18 December 2024
18 December 2024
With more visibility comes more online harassment, write NOREEN NASIR and BRITTANY PETERSON
Sport / 17 October 2024
17 October 2024
Nepotism debate surrounding LeBron and Bronny James stems from a longstanding stigma in the US, writes ALANIS THAMES
Olympics / 26 July 2024
26 July 2024
Rise of women's sports brings greater emphasis on maternity and parental needs