Liz Cambage teases public response to 'past rumours' as she steps away from WNBA following ugly split
Aggrieved Australian basketballer Liz Cambage has announced on social media her decision to step away from the WNBA “for the time being,” addressing for the first time her contract divorce from the Los Angeles Sparks last month.
“While I’ll miss rocking the purple and gold, I’ll be taking this time to focus on my healing and personal growth before providing clarification on past rumours,” the four-time All-Star said in an Instagram post.
“Thank you to all my supporters, family and friends for all the love and light you continue to surround me with."
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The Sparks were in the hunt for a playoff spot when Cambage left the team on July 26. The team lost eight of their final nine games and finished out of the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Los Angeles had traded away its first-round pick for the 2023 draft, meaning it won't benefit from missing the playoffs.
Cambage averaged 13 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Sparks in 25 games this season after signing as a free agent in the offseason.
The centre previously helped Australia win a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics. But she withdrew from playing with the Opals shortly before the Tokyo Games, citing her mental health. A few days before that, Cambage had been accused of using a racial slur towards a Nigerian national team player in a closed scrimmage. Cambage has since denied those allegations.
Liz Cambage has previously hit out at the allegations of racism and violence. Getty
“Playing for the Sparks was a dream come true and I’m honoured to have shared the court with such amazing ladies for as long as we did,” she wrote.
“I’m sorry to have left abruptly and I wish it would have ended on a different note ... I’m hopeful that the WNBA will do their part in creating safer environments and a stronger support system for their players.”
Cambage was drafted with the No.2 pick by the Tulsa franchise in 2011.
The 30-year-old has been vocal about her mental health for a long time, sitting out six years before coming back and asking to be traded from Tulsa, which by then had moved to Dallas. Cambage played in Las Vegas for two seasons before becoming a free agent and choosing Los Angeles.
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