The 2025 New York Liberty are not the same team that captured the franchise’s first WNBA championship last year. Much of the personnel is the same, but a few key additions and role changes to Sandy Brondello's group have given them their own identity.

It all starts with newcomer Natasha Cloud. The dynamic point guard doesn’t just give the Liberty another offensive threat, she allows the team to play a more free-flowing, five-out offense. Fans saw that offense in the team’s 92-78 season-opening win against the Las Vegas Aces.

It helps that Cloud starts alongside four returning Liberty players who can all play on the perimeter.

“I think what Tash gives to us, how [the Aces] defended us, that's what we'll be preaching, let's get into the paint and then finish or find,” Brondello said. “We had 27 assists.”

And it took all of two possessions before it was clear exactly what the offense was designed to do. A minute into the game, Sabrina Ionescu took a handoff from Jonquel Jones at the top of the key and drove right by Jackie Young. A clear lane and A’ja Wilson not helping off of Jones gave Ionescu a clean look at the basket.

Breanna Stewart got a similar easy look in their third possession off a pass from Ionescu.

But the offense doesn’t work unless the ball is moving. That first option isn’t always there, which is what the Liberty saw on their fourth possession. That time, Wilson deterred a Stewart drive, so she brought the ball back out and found Jones. When Jones gave it back to Stewart, the much smaller Young was left covering her. As the ball moved around the perimeter, Jones was able to set up in the paint for another layup.

“A lot of it carries over from what we built and then adding new pieces,” Stewart explained. “If anybody's been to our training camp, you see the way the ball is moving in practice and we're passing up good shots to give great shots.”

It kept happening. Either the Aces wouldn’t help off their perimeter assignments, leaving New York players with just one defender to beat for a layup, or they would help and a shooter would be open.

The Liberty shot only 4-21 from three, but those shots will fall eventually. Instead on Saturday, it was their 56 points in the paint that keep the Aces at arm’s length most of the game.

“We want to be aggressive to the rim and it certainly helps obviously with [Stewart and Cloud] and obviously JJ, we got her established down low,” Brondello said. “But it's just reading defenses and taking what defense gives us.”

Liberty newcomer Natasha Cloud wants to get into the paint

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May 17, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) is fouled driving to the basket by Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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If Cloud is going to run the offense, she’s going to need the freedom to take charge. As she explained, she’s most effective when she can drive and create.

“I always want to try to get two feet in the paint if I can,” she said. “I have really amazing offensive players around me, I have of weapons at every position.”

It’s nothing complicated. A clear lane forces defenses to commit — either to stopping the drive and helping off of shooters. The more the balls moves (and the faster it moves), the more decisions that opposing players need to make in a short period of time.

“They're probably gonna put the weakest defender on me most of the time,” Cloud added.  “They're gonna stay home on Stewie, JJ, Sab, so that creates all those things for me if they commit.”

That philosophy benefitted Cloud tremendously in game 1. She found ways to get to the rim — including consecutive momentum-swinging three-point plays in the second half — and even made four of her five three-point attempts. She finished with 22 points on 8-17 shooting.

The scary part is that the Liberty are still a work in progress offensively. Brondello said herself that their chemistry will continue to build. But New York committed only six turnovers and had almost five times as many assists.

A few more games like that and teams will have to rethink putting their weakest defender on Cloud. The question is, who around her are they willing to risk catching fire?