Candid Cloud | Sports Daily Newsletter

Broomall native Natasha Cloud is among the more well-known names in the WNBA.

But the Washington Mystics point guard, who previously played at Cardinal O’Hara and St. Joseph’s, is known for more than just her playmaking abilities.

Cloud in recent years has become a passionate and outspoken activist, campaigning for change in a variety of spheres, from women’s sports to civil rights. She recently sat down with The Inquirer’s Aaron Carter for a wide-ranging and candid discussion of her work on and off the court and shared her thoughts on the state of her league and the nation — and offered an intimate glimpse into her family life.

— Maria McIlwain, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

Griff McGarry’s biggest obstacle to contributing to the big league club has always been command. The Phillies’ No. 3 prospect according to Baseball America, McGarry has elite stuff, but for most of his career, he’s had trouble landing it in the strike zone. If he can do that consistently at double A, the Phillies will consider giving him the call. They certainly have a need for starting pitching, and McGarry could fill it. As he works his way back from an oblique injury, he’s returning to a familiar strategy to try to improve his control.

It was a back-and-forth affair, but the Phillies came up short in the series opener against the Braves.

How much have the Phillies missed Rhys Hoskins this season? Plenty, according to Marcus Hayes.

The Phillies’ bullpen misses José Alvarado, especially in high-leverage spots. But on Thursday, they got a positive development on their most effective reliever.

The home plate umpire and the pitch clock left TV analyst John Kruk in a foul mood Wednesday.

Next: The Phillies continue their series in Atlanta at 7:20 p.m. Friday (NBC10). Taijuan Walker (3-2, 5.79 ERA) will start against Braves left-hander Jared Shuster (1-2, 5.49).

The NBA coaching carousel is filled with familiar names, but who will land with the 76ers? Nick Nurse has emerged as the frontrunner across the league and appears to have his pick of jobs. Mike Budenholzer has title experience. Frank Vogel has won a championship and is a local guy. The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell assessed these candidates’ cases — and a few others — to land in Philly and played matchmaker with the remainder of the openings.

As the Flyers embark on their rebuilding plan, the goal is to add more offensive talent. They will hope to do that with the No. 7 pick in the draft next month.

In the first of a six-part series, Olivia Reiner talked to FloHockey’s draft expert, Chris Peters, to get the lowdown on some of the top prospects who could be available once the Flyers are on the clock. Up first is Winnipeg Ice winger Zach Benson, a gifted playmaker who has high hockey IQ but less-than-ideal NHL size at 5-foot-9.

Leon Flach has been an unsung hero in the Union’s recent strong run of form. What has made the youngster so successful? Jonathan Tannenwald looks at how some tactical tweaks have helped Jim Curtin get the best out of the German-American.

Tannenwald ranks the top 10 goals of all time by the U.S. men’s national team.

Next: The Union visit NYCFC at Citi Field on Saturday looking to make it seven unbeaten league games in a row (7:30 p.m., Apple TV+).

Like many of our loyal readers, Sports Daily will be taking an extended break for the holiday weekend. Fire up that grill!

The newsletter will be taking Monday and Tuesday off. See you Wednesday and have a safe break.

We asked: What will it take for you to buy into this year’s Phillies? Among your responses:

I love the Phillies no matter what. But winning is more fun than losing. To buy into the Phils means a complete turnaround to what they’re doing now. It’s playing consistently every game and showing up to play every day. Some games they haven’t been doing that. This is a talented team and let’s face it, they get paid really well to play a game. They can and need to do better or this season is a goner. — Kathy T.

The Phils need to show more pitching consistency. The hitting will improve with warmer ballpark temperatures. I feel that the team really misses Rhys Hopkins’ clubhouse presence because anytime I heard him being interviewed he always projected a positive long-term view of the 162 game marathon. — Ted N.

I have a lot of faith that the hitting will come around as the weather continues to warm up. However, I don’t have that same amount of faith that the pitching will come around too. Nola, Wheeler and Walker have all looked better but are not pitching consistently at the level they need to, and Suárez looks like he could have used a couple of rehab starts in the minors. The bullpen has looked better as of late also, but still needs to develop that consistency it seems to be missing. The next two series against the Braves and the Mets are going to tell us a lot. Everyone needs to step it up! As Yogi famously said, " It’s getting late early”! — Bill R.

There is no buying in or out with the Phillies for me. This coming August 7 will be my 75th anniversary as a fan. On this date 75 years back I went to my first MLB game at Shibe Park as a 10 year with the Springfield Delco AA. Fell in love with Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn and the rest of the guys and was in for life. Spent 5 years in the Navy and the last 45 here in the west, but have never lost touch. Many disappointing days and nights, but always enough victories to keep me hooked. For my Phillies, whether up or down I will be there hoping for the best. — Everett S.

unCovering the Birds with Jeff McLane: | Ep 9: Face of the Franchise

There’s nothing harder to find in professional sports than a franchise quarterback. It’s a pursuit that all 32 NFL teams obsess over. The Eagles, though, are convinced that for the second time in less than a decade, they’ve got their guy, and are willing to pay a hefty price to keep him around for the long term. But after whiffing on Carson Wentz’s contract extension in 2019, why is the Eagles’ brain trust of owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman convinced that this time, in Jalen Hurts, they’ve got it right? What makes them believe Hurts is capable of living up to the massive expectations of his new megadeal, and delivering the city another Super Bowl title? Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane pulls back the curtain on Hurts’ rapid ascent, and the questions the 24-year old faces as he moves forward in his career.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Aaron Carter, Alex Coffey, Marcus Hayes, Gina Mizell, Jonathan Tannenwald, Rob Tornoe, Giana Han, Kerith Gabriel, Olivia Reiner, Mike Jensen, and Isabella DiAmore.