Cloud reflected on how she handled the uncertainty of watching other players sign contracts while she remained without a team.
She explained that she chose to view the forced pause as a spiritual mandate to remain still.
"When you put in some of these predicaments, it can bring anxiety and fears and all those things that were really real for me, but also understanding that, for whatever reason, God wanted me to be still for a minute," Cloud explained.
"I feel a lot of gratitude every time I step out on this floor.
A renewed sense of everybody got me f**d up, and I'm ready to play."
Other players in the league also expressed public support for Cloud during her free agency limbo.
Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams and Seattle Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman openly questioned the situation during a live broadcast.
"You know that it ain't got nothing to do with her basketball ability," Williams said. "It gotta be because of the other (stuff)."
The Sky must now navigate their upcoming schedule without star forward Rickea Jackson, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL on May 17.
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Cloud's defensive versatility will remain central to Chicago's strategy as the team returns home from its season-opening road trip.
