Wrong to blame coach accused of ‘offensive’ Liz Cambage body shaming

Not everyone is on Liz Cambage’s wavelength after she outed a coach for an “offensive” remark about her body that saw him suspended.

Aussie basketballer Liz Cambage’s takedown of a WNBA coach sparked immediate action but not everyone is so sure he should have been punished.

Cambage called out Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller for making an offensive comment about her weight during his team’s 72-65 win over the Las Vegas Aces this week.

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Cambage said Miller told a referee, “C’mon, she’s 300 pounds (136kg)”, while arguing about a call in the Aces’ favour. Miller has since apologised, admitting he made an “offensive comment” about Cambage’s weight.

The WNBA followed up the apology by announcing the coach had been fined $10,000 and suspended for one game.

However, American sports reporter Sarah Spain didn’t agree with the fine and suspension, saying an apology from Miller should have been sufficient.

Spain likened Cambage’s situation to teams complaining about calls involving NBA giant Shaquille O’Neal, who was a 2.16m man mountain in his playing days.

“I understand Cambage’s response there because as a six-foot-eight (203cm) woman, no doubt she’s had to deal with a lot of judgment from society about whether she fits beauty standards,” Spain told ESPN’s Around The Horn program.

“If you’re not sure if she does, go to her Insta and check it out because her body is banging.

“But I’m sure she’s used to hearing this and so for Curt, I don’t think a suspension and a fine is necessary. I think a simple apology is.

“We want equality in sports, but we can’t have it in a vacuum, so we do have to respect and understand the way society has imbued women all of our lives with the value of our aesthetics coming first and how that affects our value and our brands when that’s challenged.

“But I don’t think he was coming from a bad place. I think he was coming from the same place they were when they used to try and get calls against Shaq in the middle using his body.”

Liz Cambage is a weapon on the court.

Cambage has been in the headlines recently for threatening to boycott the Tokyo Olympics after slamming the lack of diversity in Australian team photo shoots to promote the upcoming Games.

In 2011 she was publicly challenged to get back into shape by former Bulleen Boomers coach Tom Maher after Cambage arrived back to Australia from the WNBA.

But she wasn’t having a bar Miller’s comments, uploading videos on Instagram to put the coach on notice.

“So to the coach of Connecticut — I’m sorry, little sir man, I do not know your name. But the next time you try to call out a referee trying to get a call being like, ‘C’mon, she’s 300 pounds’, I’m going to need you to get it right baby,” Cambage said.

“I’m weighing 235 pounds (105kg) and I’m very proud of being a big b***h, big body, big benz, baby. So don’t ever try to disrespect me or another woman in the league.”

Cambage, 29, went on to note that she would’ve reacted during the Sun-Aces game if it weren’t for her having a job to do on the court.

“Anyway to that little man — whole little, tiny, like where is you? — stop trying to project your insecurities baby. Pick up the phone, call the psych, because you projecting some bulls**t right now,” Cambage said.

“And next time you try to disrespect me, remember, I’m 235 (pounds). It might seem like 300 pounds to your little a**. I’m 235, baby.”

She’s loud and proud.

Cambage is happy to express herself on social media.

With the New York Post