NEW YORK — Natasha Cloud couldn’t stop smiling when she saw her new locker was adjacent to Breanna Stewart’s.

The newest member of the New York Liberty instantly decided she would tell everyone that Stewart, the two-time WNBA MVP, requested the arrangement.

Little did Stewart know, Cloud would be picking through her locker henceforth. Welcome to the “Cloud 9” experience.

With a massive social media following, the point guard created a running online bit showing off Stewart’s designer bags in a series called, “What bag did Stewie bring today?”

Bottega Veneta. Gucci. Puma (with apologies from Cloud as a Nike athlete). Christian Dior.

After winning four championships at the University of Connecticut, Stewart has been one of the biggest household names in women’s basketball, but Cloud has brought out even more of her personality. The same goes for Olympic gold medalist and three-time all-star Sabrina Ionescu, who recently popped up online twerking in a handstand with Cloud holding her ankles.

“Her influence has just been energetic,” Stewart said. “You know the way she is. You see her running around on the court and off the court. … Just constantly talking and communicating and bringing that good vibe.”

Cloud arrived in New York with her trademark bluster, and the Liberty (10-2) is off to a memorable start.

The defending champion set a franchise record with nine straight wins to begin the season, and Cloud is in the mix to be named an all-star for the first time. The former Washington Mystics standout’s imprint is already all over the organization.

This was a roster with plenty of personality, but Cloud seems to pull even more out of everyone.

For someone with a very vocal leadership style, joining a veteran team can require a delicate balance.

Cloud moved to New York a month before training camp and wanted to get to know as many people as possible, including administration and support staff. General Manager Jonathan Kolb said that made an instant impression that showed her commitment to the organization as a whole.

“My biggest goal of coming into this organization was to deposit, deposit, deposit, deposit, deposit and then figure out where I fit in,” Cloud said. “And that worked for me because I think it gave the Stewies, the Sabs (Ionescu), the JJs (Jonquel Jones) the respect that they deserve. But then it also allowed them to know, like, okay, I’m also here, too, and I need to fit in some way, shape or form.”

Happier in Brooklyn: The smiles are ever-present now, but there was a rough month and a half starting in February when the Phoenix Mercury included Cloud in a trade that brought five-time all-star Alyssa Thomas to the desert from the Connecticut Sun. Cloud had signed as a free agent only a year earlier, believing Phoenix would be a long-term home. She said the organization told her she was going to retire there, but Cloud found out about the trade on social media. She said navigating the situation was “scary” and “brutal.”

“This is a part of the business, but there are things on the human-aspect side of — you need to have the balls to talk to your players,” Cloud said.

Kolb had tried to acquire Cloud in the past, and now, at 33 and looking to get back to the Finals, she wanted out of Connecticut. She has repeatedly mentioned that Kolb “saved” her when he acquired her for draft picks in March.

“I feel accepted and loved and appreciated for just who I am,” she said, “whether it’s the hyper-crackhead energy or it’s the dog that gets into people or it’s just like the chill Tash, I just feel accepted on every level, and that really just brings an all-around peace to me.”

Her plus-minus was plus-140 through the first seven games, a league record to start a season. Cloud’s assist-to-turnover ratio (3.62) and steal percentage (2.86) are both the highest of her career.

“Natasha Cloud might be the best acquisition this offseason,” Ion Television analyst Meghan McKeown said. “It’s worked with Cloud because of her communication, her defense and the swagger that she just brings to the floor. She’s the type of player you want on your team. You hate playing against her, but you want her on your squad.”

Cloud fits so well with the Liberty because she’s able to be her best self. The three-time all-league defender is often asked to check the other team’s best perimeter player while providing significant help to others. Help defense is required from every player, but Cloud can focus more on her individual assignment because she is surrounded by other long and capable defenders.

The Liberty has the No. 1 defensive rating (93.5) in the league and ranks second in opponent scoring (76.3 points per game). Offensively, Cloud is the fourth option behind Stewart, Ionescu and Jones, meaning she doesn’t have to carry a significant load and often sees wide-open driving lanes because teams are hesitant to help off that trio. Cloud’s 6.3 assists per game rank third in the league, and she is ninth in assists in league history.

“She’s come into a team that has just won a championship and taken a lead point guard position as a veteran player and having to just figure it out on the fly,” Ionescu said. “She’s just kind of been thrown in the fire.”

Kolb added, “She’s kind of that piece that you plug in and she amplifies what we already have.”