Liz Cambage learns her fate as BA investigation concludes

Basketball Australia have revealed the findings of their investigation into Liz Cambage’s behaviour during an Opals scrimmage match.

A Basketball Australia investigation into Liz Cambage’s behaviour during the Opals’ scrimmage match against Nigeria in Las Vegas has concluded, with the star being issued a formal reprimand.

It means the 30-year-old will be free to play for the Opals at the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Sydney.

The game was used by both nations as a warm-up before they embarked on their respective journeys at the Tokyo Olympics — a journey Cambage did not make as she withdrew from the Games due to mental health concerns.

Basketball Australia announced they would investigate Cambage’s actions on July 19.

Cambage was alleged to have been involved in an altercation with the Nigerian team, and the star admitted in a video posted on her social media account “things got heated in the Nigeria game” and “there were words exchanged”.

In a statement, Basketball Australia confirmed the Las Vegas Aces star fronted the panel last week and found she had engaged in “prohibited conduct.”

“An investigation was conducted into an incident that occurred during a scrimmage between the Opals and Nigeria on the 13th of July 2021 in Las Vegas involving Elizabeth Cambage,” the statement read.

“Following the investigation, the matter was referred to an Independent Hearing Panel to determine whether, under the National Framework for Ethical Behaviour and Integrity in Basketball, Elizabeth Cambage engaged in Prohibited Conduct.

“The Independent Hearing was held on the 29th of October 2021. The panel after examination of the evidence before it, determined that Elizabeth Cambage did engage in conduct that brought Basketball Australia into censure in relation to one of the incidents charged.

“Charges in relation to the other three alleged incidents were dismissed. The Independent Hearing Panel has issued her with a formal reprimand.

Liz Cambage was issued with a formal reprimand for her actions during the Opals’ pre-Olympics scrimmage against Nigeria in Las Vegas. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

“The matter is now finalised from both Basketball Australia’s and Ms Cambage’s perspective and neither party intends to appeal the Hearing Panel’s determination.”

Having made the decision to pull out of the Opals squad and the Olympics, Cambage revealed just how dire her personal situation was at the time.

“The Olympics is Everest for every athlete,” Cambage told HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted.

“It was about to be my third, it was meant to be the one. Like, every Olympics is the one, Australia’s gonna get a gold medal. And I’m like, ‘I’m broken, guys’.

“I’m halfway through a WNBA season, I’ve been dealing with health issues, I’ve been having panic attacks and vomiting during WNBA games.

“My stress has been on a totally different level this year.

“I really struggled with Covid last year. I was on pain killers, I’m on the Xanax again, and it’s like, ‘For what?’”

Cambage previously opened up on her withdrawal from the Olympics on her Instagram account, where she said her exit was “literally one of the hardest decisions” of her life.

“But it had been coming,” Cambage said. “I’ve been having breakdowns in the carpark at Whole Foods. Non-stop panic attacks. Hyperventilating — at the thought of going into one of the most high-pressure situations, that is already in a bubble.”

Originally published as Liz Cambage learns her fate as BA investigation concludes