Former Opals coach Brendan Joyce says Liz Cambage given too much freedom as the star player

A former Opals coach believes Liz Cambage’s poor pre-Olympics behaviour is a by-product of a program providing too many allowances for her as the side’s superstar compared to other team members.

Liz Cambage may not play for the Opals again as Basketball Australia investigate her behaviour in a pre-Olympic scrimmage against Nigeria. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP.

Troubled Opals centre Liz Cambage has been given too much freedom as the team’s star player without any boundaries, according to former Australia coach Brendan Joyce.

Cambage’s international career is in limbo following her behaviour during a pre-Olympic scrimmage against Nigeria in Las Vegas earlier this year.

She was involved in a physical and verbal altercation, which is now under investigation by Basketball Australia.

Liz Cambage has been given too much freedom as the star player, says a former coach.

Cambage was set to front an independent panel after the WNBA season, where a ban for the 2022 World Cup in Sydney would be considered.

Basketball Australia is yet to announce the findings of the hearing and the investigation.

Joyce, who coached the Opals between 2013 and 2016, believes Cambage’s behaviour, especially during the pre-Olympic scrimmage, is a by-product of the Opals program providing too many allowances for her as the side’s superstar compared to other team members.

“People make comments about Liz, but you just have to set some boundaries,” Joyce said.

“Not just for Liz, but for everybody in the team. And I think that the boundaries weren’t in place and when this is the case people can deviate or think they can do whatever they want to do.

“I think Liz’s behaviour also reflects on the management. There have been limited boundaries and it has opened the door for something like that (Cambage incident) to happen.”

Joyce doesn’t condone Cambage’s behaviour in Las Vegas, including alleged verbal attacks of a racial nature, but he says the superstar Opal was a pleasure to deal with when he coached at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Cambage has always worn her heart on her sleeve.

He said this was a result of setting strong standards.

“Liz didn’t come into camp in 2015 and that resulted in us not letting her play in the qualifiers,” he said.

“We established a culture, and the players were a part of that, like most good teams.

“But from my point of view, Liz was awesome and played great basketball at the Rio Olympics.

“People forget, but we were 5-0 and we lost the quarter-final by a point.

“We only lost two international games in four years when I coached the Opals.”

Joyce expects the Opals to find life difficult if Cambage is banned for next year’s World Cup in Sydney.

Liz Cambage and current Opals coach Sandy Brondello.

He says the Australians don’t have a big-name who can replicate the multiple WNBA All-Star’s presence in the paint.

“Liz brings something that we don’t have with her size, ability and versatility with her inside game,” he said.

“We would definitely (struggle) because we don’t have anybody else to replace Liz as a centre.

“If you look at the other countries, in particular France, have a lot of bigger and taller girls.

“Then she is a defensive matchup for some of the bigger teams and we don’t have big body as tall and skilled as her.”

If Cambage is ruled out of the World Cup, Joyce still holds hope for the Opals.

He says the Aussie women can take inspiration from the 2014 World Cup in Turkey when they won a bronze medal without their gun centre.

Cambage may be ruled out of next year’s World Cup.

“We’d just have to play a different style,” he said.

“You can win without Liz, but you have to be strategic, in great shape and you have to make the right selections.

“I still feel that the Opals could have performed better at the Olympics because we didn’t have Liz at the 2014 World Cup and we adjusted.”

Originally published as Former Opals coach Brendan Joyce says Liz Cambage given too much freedom as the star player