{"id":5997,"date":"2025-07-13T05:56:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T05:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/5997\/"},"modified":"2025-07-13T05:56:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T05:56:02","slug":"natasha-cloud-comes-clean-on-wnba-rulebook-after-receiving-fine-for-her-courtside-outfit-vs-lv-aces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/5997\/","title":{"rendered":"Natasha Cloud Comes Clean on WNBA Rulebook After Receiving Fine for Her Courtside Outfit vs LV Aces"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breaking into the W comes with an unspoken rule: show up and stand tall for your squad, even if you are benched. And that\u2019s exactly what Natasha Cloud did on 8th July, when her New York Liberty took on the Las Vegas Aces. Before the game, she said, \u201cThere is zero panic from this f\u2014\u2014 team, zero. We\u2019re gonna be fine.\u201d Then on the D-day, she showed up with nothing but enthusiasm and loud cheers, even after dealing with a left hip injury. And it\u2019s safe to say that her squad played\u00a0really fine, with an 87-78 win. That, however, wasn\u2019t the only fine making headlines. While the Liberty handled business on the hardwood, Cloud made a statement of her own, one that may have caught the league\u2019s attention in more ways than one.<\/p>\n

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Cloud showed up in a cream-colored, oversized sleeveless vest that hung low and loose, giving off an effortlessly casual vibe. Paired with wide-leg, earth-toned pants that pooled over her chunky, high-shine black loafers, the look was laid-back yet put together. But it was the black-and-white baseball hat that really tied the outfit together, and also stirred up headlines. So, while it may have been the centerpiece of her style, it soon became the centerpiece of a fine warning controversy.<\/p>\n

That cap didn\u2019t sit well with league protocol. And Natasha Cloud did not back down from taking it to X. There she posted, \u201cI don\u2019t understand why I receive a fine warning for wearing a hat on the bench for a game I was unable to play in? I just feel like I wanna be alone lolllzzz.\u201d Though she conveyed it in a light-hearted manner, the frustration was obvious. Because, as it seems, Cloud has always been a fan of hats. An X account once posted a picture of her in a navy and white baseball hat. It had the phrase \u201cNew York or Nowhere.\u201d She uses it as a simple expression of her love for the city and the team she reps.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t understand why I receive a fine warning for wearing a hat on the bench for a game I was unable to play in?<\/p>\n

I just feel like I wanna be left alone lolllzzz<\/p>\n

\u2014 Natasha Cloud (@T_Cloud4) July 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

However, it isn\u2019t the first time the W has imposed restrictions<\/a> on self-expression. \u201cWe used to get fined if we had ripped jeans on. \u00a0On road trips, you had to be dressed in slacks and penny loafers and a button-up,\u201d Diana Taurasi once revealed, while recalling the WNBA\u2019s rigid dress code history. But, of course, Taurasi wasn\u2019t one to play by the rules without a little pushback. She cleverly sidestepped the fines by flipping the script. If the league wanted her to dress like a businesswoman, they could start by booking her a business class seat.<\/p>\n

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What exact rule Cloud violated, you ask? That\u2019s still unclear. Unlike the NBA, which has a clearly outlined and publicly accessible dress code, the WNBA operates in more of a gray area. The NBA leaves little room for confusion. Its rulebook explicitly states that \u201cThe dress code forbids the wearing of hats, \u201cdo-rags,\u201d chains, medallions, jeans, sneakers and jerseys. While players are on the team bench, at press conferences or on team trips.\u201d In the W, though, things aren\u2019t quite as transparent. Fines aren\u2019t always publicly disclosed, and the policies themselves can feel vague, leaving players and fans alike guessing what crosses the line.<\/p>\n

Natasha Cloud Isn\u2019t New to This\u2026<\/p>\n

Back in 2016, the WNBA faced major backlash after fining teams like the Indiana Fever, New York Liberty, and Washington Mystics, not for anything said, but for what they wore. The players had chosen to wear plain black warm-up shirts in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, responding to a string of police-related shootings in Falcon Heights, Baton Rouge, and Dallas. The league called it a uniform violation and handed down fines. But the players didn\u2019t fold. Instead, they pushed back, doubling down on their message and using the moment to take an even stronger stand.<\/p>\n

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One of the most active of them all was Natasha Cloud. She spelled out their position plainly for the authorities and the media. She said, \u201cWe\u2019re allowed to wear whatever we want to the games, to and from the games. So if they\u2019re going to take away our right and our voice to advocate for something so important to 70 percent of the league which is African American, we\u2019ll find other ways to do it\u2026 wear our shirts to and from the game and use the media [to express ourselves],\u201d\u00a0(USA Today\u2019s Nina Mandell).<\/p>\n

The Mystics even boycotted post-game interviews unless the questions were about social justice. Their stand drew a lot of attention. They even had NBA players like Carmelo Anthony backing them. He told The Undefeated,\u00a0\u201cEverybody has freedom of speech\u2026 I don\u2019t see why there would be a reason for those ladies to get fined.\u201d Under pressure, the ex-WNBA President Lisa Borders dropped the fines and upheld the players\u2019 right to protest. For Natasha Cloud and her teammates, this matchup was bigger than basketball, and they emerged as winners there.<\/p>\n