Andrew Bogut expresses mental health concern for Liz Cambage

Andrew Bogut has put aside his issues with Liz Cambage to offer his support amid concerns for the troubled Australian basketballer.

Andrew Bogut has long been a vocal critic of Liz Cambage, but he has put it aside to throw his support behind the besieged Australian basketballer.

Bogut hasn’t hidden his displeasure towards Cambage following a string of off-field incidents, highlighted by her physical and verbal attack on the Nigerian national team in a private scrimmage prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The controversial centre’s off-court issues continued last month when she announced she will be stepping away from the sport to focus on “healing and personal growth” before providing clarification on “past rumours.”

Cambage’s stance came less than a month after she parted ways with WNBA franchise, the Los Angeles Sparks, on the eve of the playoffs.

The former Opals star reportedly fell out with her Sparks teammates over a host of issues, including blasting fellow players in video sessions for failing to give her the ball during games.

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Basketball Pod Ep 72 - @andrewbogut and @HoopConsultants touch on the situation between Liz Cambage and the LA Sparks.

Listen to it here 👇https://t.co/XpXShdVaib#LetsGetRogue#RogueBogues#WNBApic.twitter.com/hvX6Qqm1r8

— Rogue Bogues (@RogueBogues) September 5, 2022

Cambage hasn’t been sighted since posting a video on her personal Instagram account thanking fans for their birthday messages.

Bogut is normally frank in his criticisms of the continuous centre.

He took to Twitter when The Sunday Telegraph exclusively revealed Cambage’s racial comments towards the Nigerian team.

Bogut wanted to “point out the hypocrisy of someone,” who “stands against racism.”

“Big difference when you publicly advocate for something and say it‘s a huge problem in the world, then do that very thing,” he said.

Asked if he felt “vindicated,” Bogut replied: “Didn’t need to be. I knew the truth and trust the people who told me from the start.”

The full, explosive extent of Liz Cambage’s pre-Olympic outburst against Nigeria that ended her Opals career can finally be revealed.https://t.co/3yHJNLyaiG

— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) May 28, 2022

Bogut is often first to criticise Cambage, but he can also see the human side to the former Opals star leaving her WNBA team mid-season.

“I don’t know what she is doing, but I hope she’s in the right mental space,” Bogut said on his Rogues Bogues podcast.

“I hope everything is OK. It can’t be easy leaving your team mid-season mentally.

“I hope she is doing well, but it is probably no surprise to each of us that this has transpired given what has happened in the past 18 months in her world.”

Bogut’s podcast co-host Mike Procopio, a former NBA video scout, believes Cambage’s issues centre around her outlook on life.

“I don’t know her at all, but I have a couple of high-end WNBA clients and it just seems like she (Liz) is never happy,” Procopio said.

Cambage took a subtle swipe at “rumours” around her abrupt departure from the Sparks and said she would have more to say on the matter in the future.

Andrew Bogut has put aside his issues with Liz Cambage to offer his support for the troubled Australian basketballer. Picture: Steph Chambers/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,” Cambage said via her personal Instagram account.

“I’m sorry to have left abruptly and I wish it would have ended on a different note.

“I’ve decided to step away from the league for the time being and I’m hopeful that the WNBA will do their part in creating safer environments and a stronger support system for their players.

“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.

“Thank you to all my supporters, family, and friends for all the love and light you continue to surround me with.”

Cambage’s WNBA career now appears over, with a stint in Asia or Europe the most likely option should she choose to return to basketball.

She could also pursue her other interests, including being a DJ or appearing on adult subscription site OnlyFans, where she reportedly makes over $1.5 million a year.