Opals reject Cambage explanation

In a damning response to Cambage’s Instagram statement following News Corp’s special investigation about her physical and verbal altercation in a private scrimmage against Nigeria prior to last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Opals sources have privately confirmed they believe the Nigerians’ version of events.

The Los Angeles Sparks WNBA star claimed she was hit in the face and pushed to the ground at the start of the second quarter by Nigerian centre Victoria Macaulay in retaliation to an “unintentional” foul that was a clear elbow.

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However, a number of sources have categorically denied Cambage’s claim that Macaulay pushed her in the face and to the ground.

“There was a scuffle so she may have been (hit in the face) but nothing even close to the actual hit on her from the second Nigerian player once Liz had also hit her in the head,” one unnamed Opals player who played in the scrimmage said on Tuesday.

“After she elbowed the first girl she didn’t get pushed to the ground.”

Instead, a time-out was called during which Cambage called out to the Nigerian team to “go back to your third world country” in front of the entire Australian team who were left stunned by the outburst, multiple sources confirmed again on Tuesday.

It’s understood Australian officials reprimanded Cambage for her racially insensitive comments before the centre went back into the game after the time-out.

Cambage returned the game and that’s when she slapped another Nigerian player in the face. The player responded by king hitting the Australian centre from behind with a closed fist.

Cambage then unloaded a barrage of verbal abuse on the Nigerian players, including referring to the Africans as “monkeys”.

Cambage denied she used the “monkey” word despite two Nigerian players confirming otherwise.

Opals players also believe the Nigerians’ account that Cambage referred to them as “monkeys”.

“I didn’t hear the word monkeys, but multiple Nigerian players did,” the Opals player confirmed.

Opals players have also laughed off Cambage’s claim that her clear elbow to the face of the Nigerian player was “unintentional”.

Cambage claimed she asked to sit out the scrimmage against Nigeria because she was concerned about her mental and physical health.

It’s understood team officials were aware of Cambage’s physical and mental concerns, which she raised on the first day of training camp, but it was agreed she would train every second day to manage her ankle injury and play the practice match as part of a plan to have her ready for the Tokyo Olympics.

Opals sources were left stunned by Cambage’s statement on Monday, but none of those contacted wanted to publicly condemn the star on Tuesday fearing retribution on social media.

But Australian basketball great Andrew Gaze says the Cambage statement was the final straw, her legacy is now tarnished by not taking ownership of all her mistakes and trying to pass off the indiscretion as “unintentional”.

Gaze, who made the comments on SEN’s The Run Home, said the saga meant it was highly unlikely Cambage would play for the Opals again.

“It’s highly unlikely she’ll ever play for Australia again, she has lost the support of many of her teammates, and an entire nation, after what I think has been really good investigative journalism by (the Herald Sun’s) Matt Logue… he was able to get access to two of the players who were actually there, and the videos that he got,” Gaze said.

“For her to say that she did not intentionally hit (the opposition player), I don’t know how you could possibly say that when you look at the vision, the vision is there for everyone to see, it’s a very, very vicious blow that she strikes to the Nigerian player.

“I don’t know how you could argue that was unintentional, if anyone knows anything about basketball, they’d see it’s a very, very high elbow, and yes, she’s tall, (but) it’s a vicious one that caused a laceration to the Nigerian girl’s neck.”

Gaze said Cambage’s statement just didn’t match up with other reports.

“Others have got a different understanding and different version of what took place, and unfortunately, with this statement that Liz has made, once again, based on my understanding of the statement, she is failing to recognise that others thought she did things differently,” Gaze said.

“All I can do, because I was not there, is go on the feedback of not just a couple, but a lot of people who are very, very close to it, and they are very consistent on what unfolded and what was said.

“So, I think that it is very hard to accept her position based on the consistency of others, there is no reason to think they would all get together, and all make up the story that is remarkably similar to try and hurt Liz.

“So, it saddens me because this is someone that is highly talented, had contributed a significant amount with her performances to the Opals, and one that we love to embrace and with this type of response and the language she used is unacceptable by anyone and it’s sad.”

He described her comments towards Basketball Australia and the Opals as “highly hurtful”.

“I have not been there for a long period of her career with the Opals, but I was there for some of it, and I could not disagree more with those comments,” Gaze said.

“As I said a few weeks ago, I find them offensive, because I know how much she was supported.

“This is one that’s a really sad situation, because an athlete who could potentially go down as one of the greatest basketball players, not just of Australian history, but of world history, and because of some conflict that’s been there and perhaps that conflict leading to her version of events… which is now going to detract from her legacy, and it should be a legacy that we all, as a nation, should be proud of because the nation has done an amazing job of supporting her from a very young age.

“So, it is desperately disappointing, but I would like to think – she’s got a lot of life to live – and sometime in the future she can find peace.

“I don’t want any harm to her, I want her to love this nation, I want her to love the Opals, and despite this really difficult set of circumstances, I hope that at some point in time, and it’s probably a long time away, that she can look back with great pride in the contribution she has been able to make.”

NCA newswire

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