A former WNBA star is facing backlash after a resurfaced video purports to show her hitting an opponent and then hurling racial slurs during a game.
In the video, Liz Cambage, who currently plays for the Maccabi Bnot Ashdod of the Israeli Female Basketball Premier League, is seen punching a player from the Nigerian women’s national basketball team while practicing with the Australia Opals for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
Moments later, a player from Nigeria’s team attacked Cambage while she walked to the sidelines.
Some reports say Cambage hurled a racial slur right before she was attacked, calling members from the opposing side “monkeys.” At the time, the Opals denied that Cambage hurled the racial slur.
In a recent Bleacher Report interview, Cambage told her side of the story.
“In light of the circulating footage from the 2021 scrimmage between the Opals and D’Tigress, I want to provide clarity on my recollection of the events. Before the scrimmage, I had expressed concerns to Opals staff about the unacceptable playing conditions within the COVID ‘Bubble’ they were imposing.”
She continued: “The circulating video portrays a highly physical game with no officiating, resulting in me being attacked and sustaining a concussion. Contrary to false claims, I did not use racial slurs or refer to anyone as a monkey, which is evident from the footage.”
But teammates from both sides have provided contradictory statements, according to a Sportskeeda report.
“Following the incident in 2021, Liz Cambage withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics on the grounds of mental health issues, citing her struggles with anxiety and the bubble,” the report reads.
Although the 31-year-old London native wasn’t kicked off the team, she has not appeared in a game with them since 2022. Reports also say it’s unlikely she will return to the Opals.
“However, Nigerian players and their basketball federation are seemingly against Liz Cambage’s move to the D’Tigress, so the former Sparks player could remain unaffiliated for a while,” the report reads.
