Mystics’ Natasha Cloud has huge recreation however not sufficient to cease Liberty

Natasha Cloud received the battle.

Sabrina Ionescu received the sport, and the conflict.

After Washington’s Cloud had promised the Liberty a “impolite awakening” and vowing to cease Ionescu (“Ranging from tip. I’m in Sabrina’s ass”), the trash-talking level guard backed up her phrases with the sport of her profession.

But it surely didn’t matter.

The Liberty nonetheless got here out on prime 90-85 in time beyond regulation at Barclays Middle to win their first-round playoff collection 2-0, after which Cloud needed to give Ionescu a congratulatory hug.

“It undoubtedly bought spicy,” Breanna Stewart conceded. “There was some missed calls, some no-calls, issues like that. Each groups wish to win. [Liberty forward Betnijah Laney] bought a tech. However that’s playoff basketball.”

Cloud poured in a career-high 33 factors and harassed Ionescu — who had 29 factors in Sport 1 — to simply 11 factors on 4 of 11 capturing.

“I used to be going to be villain, and I used to be going to be a canine, and I used to be gonna keep on Sabrina for as a lot as I may. It’s what it’s,” mentioned Cloud.

“I is usually a villain. I say what I would like, I say it with my chest, and that may generally replicate badly.”

The Liberty’s reply for Cloud’s protection was taking the ball out of Ionescu’s and Courtney Vandersloot’s arms late.

They ran the offense by means of Stewart, who had six of her 27 factors in OT, once they outscored the Mystics 14-9.

“I knew I talked s–t, and I do know I used to be in Sabrina’s stuff and I do know I took just a few onerous fouls on her,” Cloud mentioned. “Despite the fact that I take that villain function within the recreation, I’ve a number of respect for who Sabrina is, what she is to our league, who she is as a participant. Iron sharpens iron, and that’s what I mentioned to her.

“I actually do respect her as a participant, sufficient that I needed to make her my major focus in Sport 2. However I simply wished to ensure I mentioned that as a result of everybody loves [WNBA] beef. However I talked my s–t and I needed to are available in and money that deposit that I made.”