Fallen Opal Liz Cambage maintains innocence, reveals plans to play for Nigeria

Fallen Australian basketball star Liz Cambage is determined to revive her career, revealing she plans to play for the Nigerian national team two years after a pre-Olympics incident with that team that ended her international aspirations.

Cambage, 31, pulled out of Australia’s Tokyo Olympics campaign on the eve of the tournament, citing mental health issues, after allegedly striking a Nigerian player with her elbow. It was also alleged she called the team “monkey” and told them to “go back to your Third World country” during a heated scrimmage in Las Vegas.

Fallen basketball star Liz Cambage says she is in talks to play for the Nigerian national team.Credit: The Age

She has not played for the Opals since, and coach Sandy Brondello has made it clear Cambage is not in her plans for next year’s Paris Olympics. But Cambage, in an interview with the Bleacher Report, said she is completing paperwork to leave the Australian team, and is in talks with Nigeria.

“Like, why does Nigeria want me to leave Australia and go represent them? We’re filing for me to leave the Australian team, so I can represent Nigeria,” Cambage said.

“I’ve been in cahoots, I’ve been talking to them since all of this happened. This is what I mean; people don’t know the truth.”

Cambage, who was born in London to an Australian mother and Nigerian father, is likely to be eligible to play for Nigeria. However, Nigeria would need to apply through the sport’s governing body, FIBA, for Cambage to be selected.

A Basketball Australia spokeswoman said on Tuesday the governing body had not received any paperwork from Cambage to request a transfer.

Veteran Nigerian women’s basketballer Promise Amukamara disputed Cambage’s claims, tweeting: “I’m sorry but this is False. Lol.”

Amukamara added: “Literally everyone from both teams have the same story BUT her, so y’all do the math!” Amukamara said “the only person she has been in “cahoots” w/ was the former coach of our National team & he’s no longer the coach, so there’s that!”

Nigeria is now coached by Rena Wakama, who created history at the weekend by becoming the first female coach to win the Afrobasket championship when she led the national team to victory over Senegal. Wakama replaced Otis Hughley, who exited last year but was only replaced on June 30.

Cambage maintained her innocence in the Bleacher Report interview, declaring “a lot of girls don’t like me”.

“I don’t really lean towards racially backed insults. That’s not how I go. I’m very pro-black. I don’t say those things to those girls,” Cambage said.

When asked why her account differs completely with others, Cambage replied: “The truth looks a lot worse for other organisations involved, than using me as a scapegoat.”

Cambage was also under fire during the pre-Olympics tournament for breaking the team’s bio-secure bubble.

Former Opals captain Jenna O’Hea has previously confirmed what she witnessed during the scrimmage. The incident sparked a BA investigation, with Cambage handed a formal reprimand.

Cambage had been the centrepiece of the Opals heading into the Tokyo games, and without her scoring and rebounding, the team fell apart and bombed out in the quarter-finals.

However, the team has since rebounded, claiming bronze at last year’s World Cup in Sydney. The Opals have credited a return to their culture of yesteryear, built on trust, effort and selflessness, for their renewed performance.

Cambage is not playing in the Women’s National Basketball League, while her WNBA career all but ended when she left the Los Angeles Sparks in acrimonious circumstances last season. She had averaged 13 points and 6.4 rebounds in 25 games.

That came after an infamous press conference where two of her Sparks’ teammates, Nigerian sisters Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike, appeared uncomfortable and even rolled their eyes when Cambage discussed her return to the team, having had COVID-19.

Cambage won a bronze medal with the Opals at the 2012 London Olympics, and a gold medal at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

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