‘Never felt that at the Opals’: Liz Cambage lashes out again after bitter split

The scars are still raw from Liz Cambage’s bitter split from the Opals and she has no desire to wear the green and gold again soon.

Liz Cambage has hit out at the Opals again as she prepares for another WNBA season, this time with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Cambage missed Australia’s 2021 Olympic campaign in Tokyo, pulling out of the squad citing mental health reasons following alleged incidents during training camp.

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The national team veteran was alleged to have been involved in an altercation with the Nigerian side during a scrimmage, while there were also claims she broke bio-secure Covid regulations.

An investigation by Basketball Australia saw Cambage issued with a formal reprimand and the Opals never recovered from her late withdrawal, as they bombed out of the Olympics in the quarter-finals.

Cambage says she has no intention of wearing the green and gold again any time soon, slamming the way she was treated during her time in Australian colours as she gets ready to suit up for the Sparks.

“I’m living my best life. I’m supported, I’m protected on a level that the Opals or the Australian team never gave to me,” she told the ABC, adding she has “zero” interest in representing her country in this year’s World Cup, to be held in Sydney.

“My heart lies with those who want to protect me and those who want me to be the best I can be, and I never felt that at the Opals at all. So yeah I’m good.”

Liz Cambage is happy in America after moving from the Aces to the Sparks. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Cambage, a free agent earlier this year who left the Las Vegas Aces to sign with the Sparks, remains a polarising figure among her former Opals teammates. After the team’s Olympic exit, players spoke out about how big an impact her absence had and how it derailed the side’s campaign.

Former Opals captain Jenna O’Hea opened up about the heavy toll the saga took on her, saying recently she has “absolutely not” been able to move on from the damaging episode.

“That was huge and everything that surrounded it was really big,” O’Hea told SEN’s This Is Your Journey.

“To be honest, I saw a sports psych for months afterwards trying to deal with it all and I do think that that’s part of the reason why I have retired.

“It took a huge toll on me and was really difficult … I don’t think I’ll ever fully process it to be honest.

“It’s still pretty raw. I don’t talk about it very often unless it’s with my sports psych. If you asked me a couple of months ago, I would have been in a ball of tears.

“It’s going to take time for me. Everyone heals at a different rate and gets over things in a different way, so that’s something I’m still dealing with today.

“I think it’s going to take a lot more time.”