Natasha Cloud is headed to Phoenix.

The free agent signed with the Phoenix Mercury, the team announced on Thursday. According to The Next’s Howard Megdal, the deal is worth $400,000 over two years.

“Natasha is an elite playmaker, one of the best defenders in the league and is coming off a career year as a scorer,” said Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren in a statement. “The tenacity and energy Natasha plays with, on both ends of the court, will help make our team more dynamic, versatile and competitive.”

As of Thursday, free agents could begin signing contracts with teams. Cloud was one of a few big names to make a splash, with Skylar Diggins-Smith signing with the Seattle Storm.

A 2019 WNBA champion and All-Defensive first and second team member, Cloud has spent the entirety of her eight-year career in the league with Washington. She was selected second overall by the Mystics in the 2015 draft.

Cloud has been one of the best players for the Mystics throughout her WNBA career. Last season, she averaged 12.7 points and 6.2 assists per game, both of which were career highs. But this offseason is one signaling change for the Mystics, as players like Cloud and Elena Delle Donne advance in their careers.

“I’m hyped to be coming to the Valley, and be part of building back the Mercury’s dynasty,” said Cloud in a Mercury press release. “D.C. has been my home for nine years and leaving the fans and city isn’t easy, but I’m excited to be part of an organization that values the person and player that I am. I can’t wait to get to Phoenix and get to work with my teammates.”

In a post on social media, Cloud thanked DC for bringing her “so much happiness” in her time with the program.

Saying see you later to a city that means the world to me. DC y’all brought me so much happiness over the last 9 years. I could never repay you for taking a chance on a mid major kid no one believed in. Y’all will forever be my family🤍

🌩️9️⃣ https://t.co/bXymOcJNIl

— Natasha Cloud (@T_Cloud4) February 2, 2024

Other notable moves:

• The Minnesota Lynx signed Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams, both most recently of the Chicago Sky. They also acquired Natisha Hiedeman in a trade with Connecticut for Tiffany Mitchell.
• The Atlanta Dream signed Tina Charles and Aerial Powers, as well as trading for Jordin Canada from the LA Sparks.
• The Sparks traded for Kia Nurse from Seattle and Aari McDonald from Atlanta, as well as draft assets. The Sparks now have picks No. 2, 4, 8 and 28 in this year’s WNBA draft.
• The Las Vegas Aces re-signed guard Sydney Colson and signed Megan Gustafson.

Friday's Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball debut was an unequivocal success for TV partner TNT Sports, as the new offseason 3x3 league's opening lineup became the most-watched women's basketball games in the broadcast network's history.

The doubleheader logged viewership averages of 313,000 and 311,000, respectively, with the first game peaking at 364,000.

Notably, these numbers do not include viewers on Max, where every Unrivaled game is available to stream live under the league's six-year, $100 million media deal with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

In 2022, WNBA games averaged 372,000 viewers across Disney networks, with the league later surpassing 500,000 across ABC, ESPN, and CBS in 2023 before reaching a 1.19 million average on ESPN in 2024.

Unlike the well-established WNBA, which is on the cusp of entering its 29th year, Unrivaled is a new-look product in its first-ever season. With that in mind, Unrivaled's initial numbers are promising, particularly for a league that's prioritizing long-term wins over instant gratification.

"I think we put ourselves in a great position to be successful right away, but it’s a marathon,"  league president Alex Bazzell told The Athletic before Unrivaled’s launch. "We’re not running out there from Day 1 trying to get millions of viewers out of the gate."

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One piece of the Unrivaled fan engagement puzzle

Viewership is just one way the league is measuring fan engagement, with Unrivaled also turning an eye toward social media metrics.

"[Viewership is] not fully indicative of what is the overall fan interest because there’s so many ways to consume leagues and teams and highlights," noted Bazzell.

It's one reason that partnering with WBD was so appealing to the new league. The media giant's already robust sports social media channels are elevating Unrivaled content across platforms to an established, sports-hungry audience.

To that end, Unrivaled’s opening weekend content garnered 31 million views across WBD’s social channels and fueled a 59% viewership boost of the media giant's women's sports-specific TikTok account.

In the biggest upset of the 2025 Australian Open so far, 19-seed Madison Keys defeated world No. 2 Iga Świątek in a back-and-forth three-set semifinal early Thursday morning.

Entering as the tournament's only athlete to win every set, five-time Grand Slam champion Świątek conceded more games to Keys than in her previous five Australian Open matches combined.

Keys's speedy serve and heavy forehand paired with a Świątek double-fault pushed the match to a tie-break decider, with the US star ultimately winning 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8).

"It just became who can get that final point and who can be a little bit better than the other one," Keys said post-match. "I'm happy it was me."

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Keys's victory is just the latest chapter in a 2025 Australian Open run that's seen her beat three Top 10 contenders in Świątek, No. 6 Elena Rybakina, and No. 10 Danielle Collins. Those victories earned the 29-year-old her own Top 10 spot in next Monday’s WTA rankings.

With Thursday's win, Keys booked her second-ever Grand Slam championship match, returning to the sport's top stage for the first time since the 2017 US Open.

One last challenge awaits Keys

To claim her career's first Grand Slam trophy, however, Keys will have to defeat reigning champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who comfortably downed Spain's No. 11 Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday in pursuit of a third-straight Australian Open title.

In their five previous meetings, Keys has only beaten Sabalenka once, topping her in Berlin in 2021.

Sabalenka won their most recent bout in the 2023 US Open semifinals. However, that three-set slog was similar to Keys's gritty victory over Świątek and, if she can maintain the composure and energy she displayed on Thursday, the US star's momentum could fuel her to similarly stun Sabalenka.

How to watch the 2025 Australian Open final

Saturday's Australian Open final between Keys and Sabalenka will take the court at 3:30 AM ET, with live coverage on ESPN.

The Phoenix Mercury could be entering a new era, with unrestricted free agent Brittney Griner and 20-year WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi both feeding the rumor mill with departure buzz.

The legends have played their entire WNBA careers for Phoenix, sharing the court for more than a decade after joining the Mercury as overall No. 1 picks out of the WNBA Draft in 2004 (Taurasi) and 2013 (Griner).

Griner is actively exploring the free agency market, taking meetings with multiple teams this week while showing off her 3x3 skills with offseason league Unrivaled.

On the other hand, Taurasi is rumored to be retiring. However, neither the WNBA's all-time scoring leader nor the Mercury have confirmed any moves.

Last season, Phoenix anticipated the three-time league champ fulfilling a threat to quietly retire and avoid a farewell. Subsequently, the team honored Taurasi with an emotional "If This Is It" curtain call at the end of the 2024 season.

The 11-time All-Star's most recent statement about retirement came shortly after exiting in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs. That's when Taurasi voiced her indecision.

"I have not taken it lightly. I think about it every day," Taurasi told The Associated Press. "I’m still in deep thought about it. I want to make the right decision, you know, and I’m just taking my time a little bit."

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WNBA free agency negotiation window opens

As for Griner and other WNBA free agents, potential teams are currently courting these top athletes, as the league’s negotiation period officially opened on Tuesday.

No deal can be signed before February 1st. Meantime, many top free agents are capitalizing on what Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart calls the offseason league's "one-stop shop" recruiting ground.

"You're able to talk to other players directly," Satou Sabally said from Unrivaled's Miami campus. "You can figure out what do they have, what type of resources, how important is their team to the owners?"

Regardless of where they go, expect most free agents to ink one-year deals, as this year's CBA negotiations will likely increase 2026 salaries — making athletes hungry to level up again in next year's free agency market.

Just Women's Sports alongside Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion Kelley O'Hara are proud to announce the debut of Sports Are Fun!, a new studio show premiering February 4th.

Presented by Intuit TurboTax, Sports Are Fun! features O'Hara and co-host Greydy Diaz discussing anything and everything from the world of women's sports with help from a rotating cast of co-hosts and guests. Production runs through 2025.

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Everything you love about women's sports — with a little extra fun

"This is a show that will remind fans why they fell in love with sports," O'Hara said ahead of the show's launch. "That means tapping into all the stories, big or small, that get the group chat going. You'll feel like you’re there with us, talking about your favorite games, teams, and athletes."

O'Hara retired from professional soccer in 2024 after a legendary career that included winning two World Cups, an Olympic gold medal, and two NWSL Championships. She also helped secure equal pay for the US women's national soccer team. 

"The next step in the evolution of women’s sports is building out a media ecosystem that can keep fans connected around-the-clock," said Just Women's Sports founder and CEO Haley Rosen. "This show closes the gap when it comes to innovative, personality-driven coverage, and we're thrilled to be partnering with Intuit TurboTax as they make a splash in the women’s sports space."

O'Hara takes to the screen in her post-retirement era

O'Hara and JWS have worked extensively together over the years. They first launching the Just Women's Podcast with Kelley O’Hara back in 2020. Later shows included The Players Pod, 2024 Paris Olympics favorite The Gold Standard, Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie, as well as digital hits Kelley on the Street and 1v1 with Kelley O'Hara. 

Sports Are Fun! is by no means O’Hara's first foray into media. But it does mark the official beginning of her second career as a full-time on-air personality and content creator. 

The first episode of Sports Are Fun! will debut February 4th, 2025. Catch every episode via Just Women’s Sports' YouTube page, as well as across all audio podcast platforms.