Natasha Cloud and Aleshia Ocasio got married!
In a chat Wednesday on Clubhouse, Cloud revealed the power couple tied the knot in October, due to the then-possibility of Donald Trump’s reelection. The Washington Mystics guard said she feared for her rights, reports journalist Greydy Diaz, and didn’t want to risk carrying their engagement status into a Trump second term.
We’re glad the worst case scenario didn’t come to fruition. Now, one of our favorite couples can enjoy their happy life together.
Cloud has emerged as one of the most vocal social advocates in sports, sitting out last WNBA season to work on racial justice matters. But she will be returning to the court this season, and with a big raise: Cloud just inked a three-year, $565,000 deal with Washington, plus marketing bonuses. The five-year veteran is now one of the league’s highest earners — slotting right behind Allie Quigley of the Chicago Sky.
Get off the sidelines and into the game
Our weekly playbook is packed with everything from locker room chatter to pressing LGBTQ sports issues.
“I missed my coaches. I missed everyone. I missed seeing everyone’s faces and joking with people. I missed that,” Cloud said, per D.C. TV affiliate WUSA.
Meanwhile, she pledges to keep using her bully pulpit to advocate for social justice causes, including gun control. Two years ago, she dedicated dedicated her platform to advocating for firearm control measures.
As professional athletes, Cloud and Ocasio, who plays softball, spent most of their pre-pandemic lives traveling. They’ve spent much more time together during the Covid-19 shutdown, and evidently, their love for each other has only grown.
Their October wedding was the culmination of a courtship that started like all modern romances: with an Instagram DM. It took Ocasio six months to respond, and they’ve been making up for lost time since.
“You know what they say about lesbians: We move really quick,” Cloud told me recently on “The Sports Kiki” podcast. “So the next week, she flew out, we played in Atlanta. She was still finishing up her degree at the University of Florida, so she came and watched. From there, it was over. I won her over.”
Congratulations!
