Asked To Play In G League Bubble. We are incredibly proud to add Natasha to the Converse basketball roster.”. Follow her on twitter @CamilleBuxeda. On May 25, the world watched as those sworn to protect murdered George Floyd. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” They are as true today as they were then. And later that October, she helped lead the Mystics to their first-ever WNBA championship. As the game clock dwindled on October 10, 2019, Natasha Cloud and the Washington Mystics achieved what they had fought for all season long: their first-ever WNBA championship. The minute she stepped in, before having even spoken to anyone about what she was looking to buy, the salesman directed her to the pre-owned section. “I just want to be a good person, and I want to be able to help where I can. “For me it was, How can I be impactful in the bubble when I’m focused on winning the championship?” Tasha says. Connect with friends faster than ever with the new Facebook app. WNBA star Natasha Cloud talks about foregoing season to fight for social justice. There’s no bias.”. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. This commitment to social justice is nothing new for Tasha, who has been actively involved within the DC community for years. His manager actually heard him say it to me and saw my face and was like, I’m so sorry. Cloud announced she is taking the time to focus on social justice matters; Sanders has had medical issues in the past. Contrast that with news that broke on Monday that Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud became the first female basketball player to sign a shoe deal with Converse since the relaunch of its Hoops brand. While taking a stand in support of Black Lives Matter, Cloud lands a supportive endorsement deal with Converse. It’s to tell them that we’re changing up the definitions of some of these words they’ve been hiding behind. Whether you signed up for it or not, you as a professional athlete inherit that responsibility of being a role model,” Tasha says. https://t.co/wmFfUShLw3. Fuck you, take me to the new section. We’re underappreciated,” Tasha says. Not only has Cloud used her platform to bring attention to the systemic racism in our country, she’s also taken her voice to countless marches in the past few months. When Converse announced it had signed its first women’s basketball player, Natasha Cloud, to a shoe deal the company praised her social justice activism. Natasha Cloud discussed her decision to sit out the WNBA season to focus on social justice. You know what? The 2019 champion guard with the Washington Mystics opted out of the season to devote her full energies to social justice initiatives in the aftermath of the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Camille Buxeda is a Senior Content Producer at SLAM. While numerous corporations are jumping on the social justice bandwagon, it’s important to note that a player with Natasha Cloud’s commitment to speaking up for change should help ensure that this is not just another brand adding a black square to its Insta feed and calling it a day. Even in these unprecedented times, the historic nature of Cloud’s endorsement deal still made an impact on national newsmakers. “I’m going to embrace being proud to be Black, to be a woman, to be bisexual. Twitter. WhatsApp. For Tasha, it’s what drove her to a greater purpose when making a decision about the 2020 season. Even through all of her accomplishments on and off the court, Tasha faces one of the toughest plights in being a Black woman in America. Understanding that this was the time to do so. Natasha Cloud announces on social media that she will not play in the 2020 WNBA season so she can focus on social justice reform. It’s our responsibility to do what we can to better this country and that starts with voting and making sure we have the right leadership to lead us that way.”. Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images At age 32, Tina Charles is … That’s a win for our community, that’s a win for every little Black girl out there, every little minority girl out there,” Tasha reflects. Earlier this month, the 2019 champion had just signed a huge deal with Converse and was looking to make a new purchase. 3 min read When Converse announced it had signed its first women’s basketball player, Natasha Cloud, to a shoe deal the company praised her social justice activism. 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