A women's basketball star pantsed her opponent mid-game, but the prank victim wound up with the last laugh

• WNBA players Natasha Cloud and Sydney Colson competed head-to-head in Athletes Unlimited Wednesday.
• During the fourth-quarter, Cloud pulled down Colson's shorts as her teammate prepared to take a free throw.

Natasha Cloud turned to some unconventional tactics to help her team try to eke out a win.

During Gameday 4 of Athletes Unlimited Basketball Season 2 Wednesday night, the WNBA star's team — "Team Harrison" — played a closely contested matchup against "Team Smith." With the game coming down-to-the-wire late in the fourth quarter, Cloud found herself guarding fellow WNBA player Sydney Colson.

As Colson's team captain — Indiana Fever star NaLyssa Smith — prepared to shoot a free throw, Cloud got in position to box out the 2022 WNBA champion, despite standing outside the three-point arc. Then the point guard reached her arms back and pulled down Colson's blue shorts.

A chorus of laughter erupted from off the court, and Cloud turned to say something indecipherable to the fans, teammates, opponents, and media members watching a few feet away. Colson pulled her pants back up over her compression shorts with a smirk on her face, as if to say, "Well played."

As fellow WNBA players who are both taking part in the second season of AU Basketball, Colson and her pants-er are actually good friends. After the game, Cloud reposted the video with "we childish" and "I love you OG" to her Instagram story.

The Las Vegas Aces fan favorite — known to be a jokester in her own right — re-shared the story and added: " THAT'S A TECH "

But ultimately, Colson was the one who got the last laugh. She contributed 16 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and three steals to Team Smith's two-point win over Cloud's squad.

And in the innovative league — which features a unique athlete-centered model — players earn points based on both team wins and individual performance. Not only was Colson the second-highest points earner on AU's leaderboard for the game, but her 520-point output on the night also helped her pass the Washington Mystics star on the 2023 season leaderboard.

Colson sits at No. 25 overall through four games — one spot and just seven points higher than Cloud. Both guards will have the chance to improve their rankings as they hit the court in Dallas Friday and Saturday.

While Cloud and Colson won't face off head-to-head again this week, they'll again share the court — maybe as foes or maybe as teammates — come Week 3, when new captains are chosen and given the power to draft new squads. Fans can tune in for upcoming AU Basketball games on WNBA League Pass.