From her powerful piece in The Player’s Tribune, to her purposeful participation in protests, to taking a powerful step in this march by sitting out the 2020 WNBA season to focus on the fight for social reform, Natasha Cloud has set the bar high, in every regard. In becoming the first women’s basketball player to sign a shoe deal with Converse, it was a full-circle moment when Converse decided to cover the entirety of her forfeited 2020 WNBA season salary. As she exemplifies the perfect balance between purpose and play, it was only right she snagged the #1 spot. For her sacrifice, voice, passion, and infinite investment – she earned this.
“I have a responsibility to myself, to my community, and to my future children to fight for something that is much bigger than myself and the game of basketball. I will instead, continue the fight on the front lines for social reform, because until black lives matter, all lives can’t matter”.
-Natasha Cloud (Washington Mystics)
