Inside Natasha Cloud's prolific playmaking in 2024

Natasha Cloud is enjoying a career-best passing season, her first as a Phoenix Mercury.

Fittingly, she’s also already – and has been for three weeks now – the franchise leader in assists in a season, with 259. She surpassed Diana Taurasi’s previous franchise-high mark in assists in a season of 197, set in 2013.

Cloud’s passing, processing, vision, and efficiency on playmaking have been one of the ultimate barometers for the Mercury this season.

She currently ranks third in assists per game (7.0), total assists (259), and assist points created — all of which stand as career-best marks.

In alignment with the Mercury process, she is second in three-point assists.

The ways that she’s found ways to operate against the coverages thrown at her has felt as sharp and efficient as any other point in her career, which she spoke about recently.

Cloud has 1,103 points created (via points and assists) this season. Additionally, her points per assist mark sits at 2.383, both of which register as ELITE.

Tuesday, she tied her season-high in assists with 12 (on just 1 turnover), but past the arbitrary number, there’s correlation there.

Firstly, Cloud has 10 games this season where she’s compiled double-digit assists. In those games, the Mercury have a winning percentage of 80.0% (8-2), and average 87.9 PPG, which would be the best in the WNBA if sustained all season long.

Secondly, she also compiled a double-double, which was her eighth. In those games, the Mercury are 7-1 this season.

Her play, effectiveness, and efficiency at the helm and from the point are a true barometer for the Mercury.

Then, sometimes when the Mercury do go pick-and-roll, it isn’t even the traditional setup. Here is Diana Taurasi, who recently spoke about this exact context of play, with her as the screener then popping. You can see the confusion in coverage from the defense, ultimately burned by Cloud’s well-timed and accurate pass to Taurasi, for three.

It also isn’t always her bringing it up the floor in a traditional sense. She’s featured uniquely to invert offense at times from the mid-post vs a mismatch, like above.

Yes, players have to make shots for the assist impact to be there, but Cloud being aggressive and putting players in said positions, in rhythm, is what’s the driving force for the Phoenix Mercury offense that is as potent as any when their process is layered and the shot profile is diverse.

The Mercury need Cloud to be the best point guard, or at worst the second best point guard on the playoffs stage, for the team to make a run. She’s more than capable and when she’s been that this season, the numbers have reflected in the team’s record.