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Four months ago, Natasha Cloud was still a member of the Phoenix Mercury, and was hoping to spend the rest of her career in the desert. A whirlwind offseason altered that plan. First, she was traded to the Connecticut Sun as part of the Alyssa Thomas blockbuster. Her "tenure" as a member of the Sun lasted all of six weeks before she was dealt again, this time to the New York Liberty. 

The Liberty, fresh off the first title in franchise history, gave up two first-round picks to acquire Cloud -- a not insignificant cost. With the way Cloud is playing to start the season, though, it looks like a bargain. 

Cloud is averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks on 55.6/50.0/90.0 shooting splits. She's 10th in the league in scoring, third in assists, second in steals and tied for fifth in blocks. In her 94 minutes of action, the Liberty have outscored opponents by 49 points. 

While Cloud won't continue to shoot that well all season, there's no reason to expect her perimeter defense, downhill driving ability or playmaking to subside. Her infectious energy has also been invaluable on a team that could be forgiven for going through the motions during the regular season. 

Cloud's biggest moment in a Liberty uniform thus far came during their thrilling win over the Indiana Fever on CBS on Saturday afternoon. Clinging to a two-point lead with only seconds remaining, Cloud stripped Caitlin Clark to preserve the Liberty's undefeated start to the season. 

With Cloud playing like this, and a soft upcoming schedule, it may be a while before the Liberty have to deal with defeat. 

Below are CBS Sports' latest WNBA Power Rankings.

WNBA Power Rankings: May 27, 2025

1
Liberty
The Liberty broke the WNBA's single-game record for 3-pointers with 19 in a blowout win over the Sky. Their victory over the Fever was much more dramatic, but Natasha Cloud saved the day with her defense. She continues to excel in her first season with the club. The Liberty's 112.4 offensive rating and 62.8 true shooting percentage both lead the league by a wide margin.
2
Lynx
The Lynx maintained their undefeated start to the season in dramatic fashion by closing their comeback win over the Sun on a 23-2 run. This is the first time they've started a season 4-0 since 2017, which, coincidentally, is the last time they won a title. Napheesa Collier is leading the league in scoring at 29.5 points per game, while shooting 56.2% from the field.
3
Storm
After a 3-0 week, which included a dominant win over the Aces, it seems fair to throw away the Storm's rough opener. Their defense has been as advertised, and both Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins have been stellar. Ogwumike moved into ninth on the all-time scoring list against the Aces, while Diggins had a career-high 14 assists in their victory over the Mercury.
4
Fever
The Fever's two losses this week, to the Dream and Liberty, came by a combined three points. To make matters worse, Caitlin Clark was diagnosed with a quad strain on Monday that will keep her out for at least the next two weeks. The Fever's offensive rating when Clark has been on the court this season is 107.5. When she's sat, it's plummeted to 82.2. Can they survive without their offensive engine?
5
Mercury
The Mercury definitely felt Kahleah Copper's absence this week, but their defense has answered the call. They lead the league in defensive rating (89.3) and opponent turnover rate (23.6%) by a wide margin, which has helped them get off to a 3-1 start. Rookie guard Monique Akoa Makani has also given them a nice boost. She's averaging 10 points per game and shooting 50% from 3-point range.
6
Dream
This was an extremely busy week for the Dream, who had four games in six days. They won three of them, and lost the other by just five. Under new coach Karl Smesko, they are second in the league in 3-point attempts per game (30.8), but ninth in percentage (31.8). They don't really have the shooting talent to properly implement his system, but are making up for the lack of efficiency with the second-best offensive rebounding rate (34.5) in the league.
7
Aces
It may officially be time to start worrying about the Aces, who barely got past a shorthanded Mystics team and then got smoked by the Storm on Sunday. Their defense has been a mess, and A'ja Wilson is leading them in every major statistical category, which is both impressive and concerning. Jewell Loyd, who had 14 points on 15 shots in her return to Seattle, is somehow shooting 16.7% on 2-point attempts.
8
Mystics
This was a heartbreaking week for the Mystics, who lost all three games of their West Coast swing by a combined 11 points. Despite the results, rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen continue to impress. Citron leads all rookies in scoring at 15.4 points per game, while Iriafen leads all rookies in rebounding at 11.2 per game. Iriafen also made franchise history as the first rookie to record four consecutive double-doubles.
9
Sparks
Rickea Jackson's concussion added to the Sparks' injury woes, and they've already had to utilize a hardship contract to add Liatu King for some much-needed depth. While this team goes as Kelsey Plum goes -- they're yet to win when she doesn't reach at least 28 points -- Azurá Stevens' hot start should not be overlooked. She's putting up 17 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game on 60.4% shooting.
10
Valkyries
The Valkyries still haven't figured anything out on the offensive end -- they're shooting a league- worst 36.5% from the field -- but their defense was terrific this week as they picked up the first two wins in franchise history. They're second in the league in defensive rating (93.1) and have an astounding 79% defensive rebounding rate, which would be the best such mark ever if they somehow manage to keep it up for the entire season.
11
Wings
The growing pains continued for the new-look Wings this week. While they were generally competitive, they lost all three of their outings and remain winless on the season. Arike Ogunbowale's rough start is the biggest issue. She's averaging 12.5 points on 28.6% shooting from the field. It's going to be very difficult for this team to win games when she's playing like that.
12
Sun
The Sun remain winless after a difficult week in which they were crushed by the Aces and Dream, and blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead to the Lynx. On the bright side, first-round picks Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers have both made their debuts. While Morrow's playing time has been limited, Rivers has had some nice moments, particularly on the defensive end, where she's averaging 1.6 steals and one block.
13
Sky
There's no way to sugarcoat it: the Sky have been a disaster on both sides of the ball. They have a minus-29.8 net rating, which shouldn't even really be possible, and are turning it over on 24.1% of their possessions. Playing the Fever and Liberty to start the season was a tough draw, but a Sparks team that entered their Sunday matchup on a three-game losing streak beat them by double digits too.