WNBA Champion Natasha Cloud Stepping Away To Focus On Social Reform

Pat Gallen reports.

SOME ARE PUTTING THEIRCARREERS ON HOLD TO FIGHT FORCHANGE.PAT GALLEN TALKS WITH LOCALATHLETE STEPPING OFF THE COURTFOR SOCIAL DISTANCING REFORM.IT TAKES A LOT TO BECOME ACHAMPION.BUT IT TAKES EVEN MORE TO WALKAWAY ON TOP.DELCO NATIVE, FORMER ST.

JOE'SSTAR, AND WNBA CHAMPIONNATASHA CLOUD DOING JUST THATIN HER PRIME.FOLLOWING THE WASHINGTON MISSPARTICULARS TITLE LAST YEAR,CLOUDS IS STEPPING AWAY THISSEASON FOR TWO REASONS.I FEEL I'M BEING CALLED FORSOCIAL REFORM.AND USING THE PLATFORM THAT IHAVE USING THE VOICE THAT IHAVE AND THE MOMENTUM ANDEFFORTS THAT I HAVE AT THEVERY MOMENT, AND THESECOND MAIN REASON IS HEALTHAND SAFETY.YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TIME WHERECOVID IS SUCH A DEADLY VIRUS,VERY UNKNOWN, IT IS VERYUNKNOWN WHAT LONG-TERM EFFECTSIT COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE ONUS.HOW MUCH MORE DIFFICULTDOES IT MAKE IT KNOWING THATYOU AND THE MISSIONPARTICULARS ARE COMING OFF ATITLE IN A.I HAVE PEOPLE ARE LIKE WELLYOU HUSBAND JUST PLAY, YOUKNOW, WHEN I TAKE THAT UNIFORMOFF, I AM A BLACK FEMALE.WHEN I ENTER INTO THE REALWORLD, I AM A BLACK FEMALE.I DON'T GET TO TAKE MY COLOROFF.AFTER A SEASON WHICH SAWHER LAND SECONDS TEAM ALLDEFENSIVELY, CLOUD IS PRESSINGPAUSE ON HER CAREER AT PIVOTALMOMENT.SHE SAID WHILE IT WASDIFFICULT IT WAS THE RIGHTMOVE.BECAUSE SHE IS SEEING CHANGE.WE HAVE SEEN MASSIVEPROTESTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY,AND REALLY ACROSS THE GLOBE INTHE WAKE OF THE DEATH OFGEORGE FLOYD AND NOW INSUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES MATTERDO YOU THINK THAT WE AREHEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?I'M HOPEFUL.I'M EXTREMELY EXTREMELYHOPEFUL.DIFFERENT PROTEST, PHILLY, DC,AND SUCH BEAUTIFUL ANDPOWERFUL THING TO BE PEOPLEFROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.DIFFERENT RACES.DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS,DIFFERENT RELIGIONS COMING