World Cup Basketball: Liz Cambage scandal left Opals star Ezi Magbegor silent, but not anymore

When Liz Cambage unleashed her Las Vegas racial verbal barrage Opals star Ezi Magbegor remained silent, but now the Nigerian Australian is not afraid to make some noise.

WNBA playoff exit opens door for Ezi Magbegor (pictured) and Steph Talbot to focus on Australia’s World Cup campaign. Picture: supplied by PR

The Liz Cambage scandal rocked proud Nigerian Australian Ezi Magbegor, but the Opals star has responded in style and found her voice in the process.

Magbegor, like the rest of her Opals teammates, was shocked when Cambage unleashed a racial verbal barrage on the Nigerian players in a private scrimmage in Las Vegas in the lead up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It was a moment that derailed Australia’s preparations, just one week from the start of their Tokyo Games campaign, and they failed to recover with a second consecutive Olympic quarter-final exit.

Cambage’s foul-mouthed rant particularly hurt Magbegor given her parent’s Nigerian connections, prompting Liz to personally apologise.

The Tokyo Olympic disaster, which had a major mental impact on the entire team, sparked varying responses from the playing group.

Some attempted to lead from the front, others got emotional while someone like Magbegor preferred to sit back and watch the chaos unfold.

Liz Cambage and Ezi Magbegor compete against other in the WNBA in May this year.

“I guess I’ve always been a quieter teammate,” Magbegor told News Corp.

“For me, it (speaking up) is something that just takes time.

“I’m more of an observer and like listening and watching, but experience and time makes that process easier.”

Today, Magbegor’s voice has well and truly come to the surface after Opals coach Sandy Brondello challenged the unassuming centre to step out of her comfort zone to become a bigger vocal presence within the squad.

Brondello, like everyone, can see Magbegor’s on-court ability, but she wanted to see more from her off-court evolution as a leader.

“We want Ezi to be heard, not be afraid to step up and say what is important to her,” Brondello said.

“That is part of her journey. We all have to grow and learn and for Ezi it is all about experience.

“She is quiet, but I like that she is using your voice more with the Opals now.

“We want Ezi to be herself. If she has got something to say, I want her to say it.

“That is an important part of her development.

“We don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable and want everyone to feel a part of our culture.”

Opals star Ezi Magbegor has been encouraged to step outside her comfort zone.

Ezi Magbegor drives to the basket against the United States in Las Vegas last year.

Thanks to motivation from Brondello, and a complete culture shift at the Opals, Magbegor is far more content to speak her mind.

“With the group we’ve now got, I definitely feel more comfortable to voice my opinion and speak up a little bit more,” she said.

“There is room to grow, but we’ve created an environment where anyone can speak up or speak out.

“That is a credit to the culture that we’ve built.”

Magbegor believes the Opals had no choice but to make changes, on-and-off the court, following the disappointing Tokyo Olympic campaign.

She says the substandard quarter-final finish has switched the playing group’s mindsets and given them validation that more work needed to be done to achieve success.

“There has been an emphasis to change the culture, and everyone is buying into it,” she said.

“The results haven’t been what we wanted, so we all knew that something had to change off the court.

“Sometimes things don’t go your way, but it’s how you grow after.”

The return of Australia’s greatest player Lauren Jackson has been a major point of difference for the Opals.

Jackson may possess one of the greatest trophy cabinets in the history of women’s basketball, but she always puts the team before any personal gain.

Magbegor says this selfless mindset has rubbed off on the Opals squad ahead of the World Cup in Sydney, starting on Thursday when Australia hosts France.

“It’s just nice to finally be on Lauren’s team and I’m really excited to be on the same court as her,” said Magbegor, who has fond memories of watching Jackson play for the Canberra Capitals in the WNBL.

“Lauren has had a huge impact with the leadership and experience that she brings.

“She adds input on and off the court when she sees things. The game has changed a lot since she last played for Australia, but she still has so much that she can contribute.

“We love having her on the team.”

WNBA loss a huge win for Opals ahead of World Cup

The Seattle Storm’s exit from the WNBA playoffs is a major win for the Opals, with Storm stars Ezi Magbegor and Steph Talbot primed to lead Australia to World Cup glory.

There were fears Magbegor and Talbot could miss the Opals’ opening Cup game against France on September 22 due to a clash with the WNBA playoffs.

Thankfully for Australia, Seattle lost their semi-final series against the Las Vegas Aces.

This allowed Magbegor and Talbot to immediately return to Australia to start their preparations for this month’s World Cup.

Opals stars Steph Talbot #7 and Ezi Magbegor #13 of the Seattle Storm taking on former Australian teammate Liz Cambage in the WNBA. Picture: Steph Chambers/Getty Images/AFP.

The pair arrived in Sydney on Tuesday and went straight to work alongside their teammates.

Opals coach Sandy Brondello is relieved and thrilled to have Magbegor and Talbot involved in the team’s pre-World Cup training camp.

“Steph and Ezi are here, so I’m looking forward to slowly integrating them into the team’s plans,” Brondello said.

“Hopefully, they can hit the ground running at the Cup because they are two really important players.

“Sky’s the limit for both Ezi and Steph and we’re hoping that they’ll play their best basketball in Sydney.”

It has been a busy yet successful three years for Talbot and Magbegor.

Final training camp ✅ Thank you Gold Coast!

On to Sydney we go 😤#WeAreBasketballpic.twitter.com/fNyzVR3aDB

— Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) September 11, 2022

Both players have emerged as consistent performers on the WNBL, WNBA and international stages.

Talbot won the WNBL MVP in 2020 playing with the Adelaide Lightning while she has collected two All-WNBL First Team honours.

Magbegor has won two championships – one in the WNBA with the Seattle Storm in 2020 and the second a WNBL title at the Melbourne Boomers this year.

Brondello believes the Opals are well placed to succeed at the Cup in Sydney, and avenge their disappointing quarter-final exit at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“We are a team, and we want to play the right way and I think we’ve got a really well-balanced team of youth and experience,” she said.

“We want everyone to have a voice and I want them to all help each other carry the load.”

Steph Talbot will play a major role for the Opals at this year’s World Cup in Sydney. Photo: Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images.

The Opals are blessed with countless leaders from the legendary Lauren Jackson through to centres Cayla George and Marianna Tolo.

Brondello doesn’t want to leave captain Tess Madgen on an “island” by herself, but she says it was a “no-brainer” to name the Barossa Valley-born guard as skipper.

“I think Tess is a natural born leader,” she said.

“It’s just her demeanour and personality. She is very selfless, and she understands the game very well.

“Tess also has a really authentic connection with her teammates, and she wants what is best for the Opals.

“It’s not about how many minutes she plays, she is very passionate and when she talks, everyone listens.”

The Opals open their World Cup campaign against France next Thursday at the Sydney SuperDome.

Get your tickets to the FIBA Women’s World Cup here

Originally published as World Cup Basketball: Liz Cambage scandal left Opals star Ezi Magbegor silent, but not anymore