<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> star <a href="https://www.insider.com/liz-cambage-pulls-out-tokyo-olympics-australian-nba-greats-criticism-2021-7">Liz Cambage cited mental health struggles</a> for her departure from the Australian national team.</li><li>Recent revelations indicate that racist comments and a brawl were behind her Olympic withdrawal.</li></ul><p><keyword id="13082636" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="liz-cambage" source="Orion">Liz Cambage</keyword> is in hot water.</p><p>Nearly a year ago, the WNBA superstar abruptly parted ways with the Australian Opals mere days ahead of the Tokyo <keyword id="11896183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics" source="Orion">Olympics</keyword> after <a href="https://www.insider.com/liz-cambage-pulls-out-tokyo-olympics-australian-nba-greats-criticism-2021-7">citing mental health challenges</a>. But recent reporting suggests Cambage's tenure with her country's women's national basketball team came to an end after a closed-door scrimmage against <keyword id="12217306" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nigeria" source="Orion">Nigeria</keyword> turned ugly.</p><p>According to video obtained by <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/basketball/special-investigation-the-five-minutes-of-mayhem-that-ended-liz-cambages-opals-career-and-derailed-an-olympic-campaign/news-story/04e94134c12caeca06ad10ca7eb5258a">The Daily Telegraph</a>, an Australian outlet, the 6-foot-8 center found herself in a contentious battle in the post during the now-infamous July 13 contest. As her team trailed and her frustration grew, Cambage resorted to swinging an elbow at her opponent's chest, leaving Nigerian center Victoria Macaulay with a deep cut above her collar bone.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—bailey caldwell (@sir_richmond20) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1530702785041379328">May 29, 2022</a></blockquote><p>After a brief timeout, things reportedly got chippy between Cambage and another player. Not long after the initial play, which one Nigerian player called "malicious," Cambage slapped an opponent across the face.</p><p>When that player retaliated with her fists, Cambage responded with a racist tirade. Several players from both teams report hearing her tell Nigerian players to "go back to your third-world country," with others attested she called them "monkeys."</p><p>In an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeK3zOcstHq/">Instagram post</a> published Monday, Cambage — who joined the WNBA's <keyword id="12471380" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="los-angeles-sparks" source="Orion">Los Angeles Sparks</keyword> in free agency this off-season — vehemently denied using "the racial slur towards the Nigerian team that has been circulating." She also insisted that she fouled Macaulay "unintentionally" and that the entire situation "was handled privately, almost a year ago."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeK3zOcstHq" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by    (@ecambage)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>When asked for comment, the Sparks directed Insider to Cambage's post. The WNBA declined to comment on the situation.</p><p>Australian and Nigerian players reportedly chose to break their silence on the altercation, which took place just ahead of the Tokyo Games, after <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5K-sXqjqmI">Cambage told ABC News Australia</a> that the Sparks "protected [her] on a level that the Opals, or the Australian team, never gave to me." The interview prompted <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/sport/offsiders/sunday-may-8-full-program/13872434">former Opals captain Jenna O'Hea to assert</a> that Cambage will never again be welcome to rejoin the Australian national team.</p><p>Cambage's WNBA teammates in Los Angeles appear to be standing by their star as the conflict resurfaces. Longtime Sparks superstar Nneka Ogwumike, who is the president of the WNBA Players Association, said "as a team, we talked about it and we addressed it."</p><div type="image" title="Nneka Ogwumike (left) and Liz Cambage." height="1666" width="2223" msid="91925639" hostid="261"></div><p>"Whatever agenda is happening with it resurfacing, that's other people's business," Ogwumike said Sunday during a post-game press conference. "Quite frankly, we talked about it before she came to the team. Granted, people have their own accounts of what happened, but we addressed it and we talked about how important it is for us to be together, be transparent, and also empower giving people second chances."</p><p>"And we have Liz's back," Los Angeles guard Chennedy Carter added.</p>

Liz Cambage accused of calling Nigeria players 'monkeys' in an on-camera exchange that ended her Australia basketball career, per report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Liz Cambage and the LA Sparks have <a href="https://sparks.wnba.com/news/los-angeles-sparks-agree-to-contract-divorce-with-liz-cambage/">agreed to a contract divorce</a> with less than 3 weeks left in the season.</li><li>The 6-foot-8 center was reportedly unhappy with the team, despite <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1522420910107639813">calling LA her "dream"</a> destination in May.</li></ul><p>Liz Cambage's time in Los Angeles has come to an abrupt end.</p><p>The WNBA superstar has parted ways with the Los Angeles Sparks after just two months donning purple and gold. She and the franchise mutually <a href="https://sparks.wnba.com/news/los-angeles-sparks-agree-to-contract-divorce-with-liz-cambage/">agreed to a contract divorce</a> with less than three weeks remaining in the regular season.</p><p>"It is with support that we share Liz Cambage's decision to terminate her contract with the organization," Sparks Managing Partner Eric Holoman said in the team's announcement on Tuesday. "We want what's best for Liz and have agreed to part ways amicably.</p><div type="image" title="Liz Cambage." height="1667" width="2500" msid="93145578" hostid="261" sizebytes="140378"></div><p>"The Sparks remain excited about our core group and are focused on our run towards a 2022 playoff berth," he added.</p><p>Cambage joined the Sparks in free agency this off-season. During her introductory press conference in February, the 6-foot-8 center said, "It's been a dream of mine to live in LA, to play in LA."</p><p>At the time, she even admitted that she had told other teams not to select her in the 2011 WNBA Draft because she only wanted to play in Los Angeles. Though that plan didn't immediately come to fruition, as the Tulsa Shock picked her second overall, Cambage beamed with excitement at the Sparks press conference, "I'm finally here."</p><p>"There's truly nowhere else I've wanted to be in the WNBA," she added.</p><div type="image" title="Nneka Ogwumike (left) and Liz Cambage." height="1666" width="2223" msid="93145581" hostid="261" sizebytes="104906"></div><p>It remains unclear when exactly Cambage soured on the team, but according to Girls Talk Sports TV's Khristina Williams, the Australian "made verbal comments about her intentions to leave the Sparks to multiple people within the organization" prior to Tuesday's announcement. Williams also reported that Los Angeles had struggled with "chemistry issues" beginning early in the season:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Khristina Williams (@Khristina) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1551942043978579968">July 26, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Cambage averaged 13 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game through 25 appearances — and 24 starts — this year. And with a 12-15 record on the season, the Sparks were poised to make the playoffs, which begin in mid-August.</p><p>Many across the league have speculated that her departure from Los Angeles could mark the end of Cambage's WNBA career. Not only has Cambage previously suggested that "it was really LA or out for me" this past off-season, but she's also been involved in several incidents that may limit other teams' interest in signing her.</p><div type="image" title="Candace Parker (right) looks to strip the ball from Liz Cambage." height="1667" width="2500" msid="93145583" hostid="261" sizebytes="171168"></div><p>In late May, Cambage was accused of <a href="https://www.insider.com/liz-cambage-nigeria-racist-comments-ended-australia-basketball-career-2022-5">calling Nigeria players "monkeys"</a> in an on-camera exchange that ended her Australia national team career. Cambage also reportedly <a href="https://www.insider.com/liz-cambage-pulls-out-tokyo-olympics-australian-nba-greats-criticism-2021-7">broke the Opals' COVID protocols to party in Las Vegas</a>, and had the report said she had a physical altercation with a teammate before pulling out of the Olympics to focus on her mental health.</p><p>Still, the 30-year-old has undeniable talent, as evidenced by her four All-Star selections and ownership of the WNBA's all-time single-game scoring record. When she's focused and motivated to compete, Cambage could be an asset to virtually every team in the league — but concerns about her unpredictability and impact on team chemistry may dissuade front offices. </p>

Liz Cambage abruptly divorced the Los Angeles Sparks, and it could spell the end of her WNBA career

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> players typically travel to and from games on commercial <keyword id="6367662" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="flights" source="Orion">flights</keyword> and often sit in coach seats.</li><li>WNBA owners reportedly declined to provide teams chartered flights, <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/01/charter-flights-violation-new-york-liberty-joe-tsai-daily-cover">per Sports Illustrated</a>.</li></ul><p>WNBA players are expressing outrage after a <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/01/charter-flights-violation-new-york-liberty-joe-tsai-daily-cover">bombshell Sports Illustrated feature</a> exposed team owners' reluctance to provide teams with chartered flights.</p><p>Billionaire New York Liberty owner Joe Tsai — who also owns the NBA's Brooklyn Nets — reportedly proposed a plan to provide all 12 WNBA teams with comped chartered flights for the next three years. But during the September 13 meeting, according to league insider Howard Megdal, most of the WNBA Board of Governors voted against upgrading teams' travel itineraries.</p><p>"Some owners worried that players would get used to it, so there'd be no going back," Megdal wrote. "And others wondered whether players might just prefer a salary hike instead."</p><div type="image" title="Sabrina Ionescu" height="1405" width="1874" msid="89955802" hostid="261"></div><p>The <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> comes after countless players have spoken up about the absurdity of commercial airline travel for professional athletes of their caliber. Los Angeles Sparks center <keyword id="13082636" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="liz-cambage" source="Orion">Liz Cambage</keyword>, who is 6-foot-8, recently devoted a portion of her introductory press conference to addressing the issue.</p><p>"It's frustrating because I played overseas, and I know the treatment and the standard of how athletes, period, should be treated," Cambage said. "It's hard to come here and fly economy, fly exit rows. I'm 6-foot-8, borderline 6-foot-9."</p><p>"It's tough, especially when this league is full of owners and GMs that want to do more," she added.</p><p>Once the <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">Sports</keyword> Illustrated article came out, Cambage had a simple reply:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Elizabeth Cambage (@ecambage) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1498704959323340801">March 1, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Liberty superstar <keyword id="11985176" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sabrina-ionescu" source="Orion">Sabrina Ionescu</keyword> — whose franchise was fined for violating the league's collective bargaining agreement by chartering jets during the second half of the 2021 season — was more pointed in her response:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i20) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1498724982649593856">March 1, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Her teammate, 2021 Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere, was on the same page:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—michaela onyenwere  (@monyenwere_) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1498679413348655110">March 1, 2022</a></blockquote><p>And Phoenix Mercury guard Shey Peddy offered some comic relief in the otherwise tense moment:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Shey Peddy (@SheyP11) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1498746989890183168">March 1, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Several other WNBA players shared their reactions in the comments of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CakMxXGuaJ3/">Girls Talk Sports TV's Instagram post</a> on Sports Illustrated's report. Breanna Stewart — the Seattle Storm superstar and two-time WNBA Finals MVP — commented "Tf ?!" Mercury point guard <keyword id="12250181" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="skylar-diggins-smith" source="Orion">Skylar Diggins-Smith</keyword> added "Disgraceful."</p><div type="image" title="Breanna Stewart prepares to take a shot." height="1405" width="1874" msid="89955803" hostid="261"></div><p>Atlanta Dream forward Cheyenne Parker commented that the reality of the WNBA's situation is "so sad," while Las Vegas Aces point guard Chelsea Gray chimed in with "This is insane."</p><p>Even Josh Hart, a player for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, spoke up on behalf of his counterparts in the women's game:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Josh Hart (@joshhart) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1498739817307197444">March 1, 2022</a></blockquote><p>A spokesperson for the WNBA denied that there was ever "a New York Liberty proposal for the WNBA Board of Governors to consider offering three-years-worth of charter flights for WNBA teams."</p><p>"It was agreed that the Liberty would explore opportunities regarding charter flights and present it to the Board," the representative told Insider. "To date, that has not happened."</p><p>Players and ambitious team owners may have to wait several years before a change on the charter flight front. Until 2027 — when the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement (<keyword id="12752656" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cba" source="Orion">CBA</keyword>) expires — travel arrangements will likely be "premium economy (or similar enhanced coach fare)" as dictated by the agreement.</p>

Players expressed outrage after the WNBA penalized a team for improving player conditions

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> owners declined the opportunity to provide teams chartered flights for games, <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/01/charter-flights-violation-new-york-liberty-joe-tsai-daily-cover">per Sports Illustrated</a>.</li><li>Some owners voted against due to fears "that players would get used to" the higher-quality treatment.</li></ul><p>WNBA teams have long traveled from game to game on commercial flights, a reality that's created countless nightmarish trips and endless hours crammed into coach for the world's best basketball players each season.</p><p>Ever since billionaire businessman Joe Tsai purchased the New York Liberty in January 2019, he has been <a href="https://www.insider.com/billionaire-joe-tsai-wnba-charter-planes-avoid-team-travel-disasters-2021-10">working to change that</a>. For a while, the league argued that it'd give the Liberty an unfair advantage if Tsai bankrolled private flights for only his team; not every WNBA franchise owner can afford to charter planes for a 36-game regular season.</p><p>But when the Alibaba executive — who also owns the NBA's Brooklyn Nets — came up with a plan to give all 12 teams chartered flights for the next three years, the WNBA Board of Governors still wasn't on board.</p><div type="image" title="Team owner Joe Tsai high fives New York Liberty players." height="1667" width="2500" msid="89934144" hostid="261"></div><p>According to a <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/01/charter-flights-violation-new-york-liberty-joe-tsai-daily-cover">bombshell Sports Illustrated report</a> written by WNBA insider Howard Megdal, most of the board voted down the September 2021 proposal to upgrade teams' <keyword id="11896628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="travel" source="Orion">travel</keyword> itineraries.</p><p>"Some owners worried that players would get used to it, so there'd be no going back," Megdal wrote. "And others wondered whether players might just prefer a salary hike instead."</p><p>A spokesperson for the WNBA has since denied that there was ever "a New York Liberty proposal for the WNBA Board of Governors to consider offering three-years-worth of charter flights for WNBA teams."</p><p>"It was agreed that the Liberty would explore opportunities regarding charter flights and present it to the Board," the representative told Insider. "To date, that has not happened."</p><div type="image" title="wnba" height="1667" width="2500" msid="89953998" hostid="261"></div><p>The <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> comes after countless players have spoken up about the absurdity of commercial airline travel for professional athletes of their caliber. Los Angeles Sparks center <keyword id="13082636" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="liz-cambage" source="Orion">Liz Cambage</keyword>, who is 6-foot-8, recently devoted a portion of her introductory press conference to addressing the issue.</p><p>"It's frustrating because I played overseas, and I know the treatment and the standard of how athletes, period, should be treated," Cambage said. "It's hard to come here and fly economy, fly exit rows. I'm 6-foot-8, borderline 6-foot-9."</p><p>"It's tough, especially when this league is full of owners and GMs that want to do more," she added.</p><div type="image" title="Liz Cambage." height="1667" width="2500" msid="89934145" hostid="261"></div><p>Mark Davis, the owner of the Las Vegas Aces and the NFL's Raiders, also argued that WNBA players "don't need to be flying on commercial flights" during a press conference in early February.</p><p>"These women are very tall," Davis said. "It's very cramped and everything else. We should have charter flights."</p><p>But owners like Davis and Tsai may have to wait several years before a change on the charter flight front. Until 2027 — when the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement (<keyword id="12752656" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cba" source="Orion">CBA</keyword>) expires — travel arrangements will likely be "premium economy (or similar enhanced coach fare)" as dictated by the agreement.</p><p>Whether the players will push back — or flee to better-resourced leagues overseas — remains to be seen.</p>

WNBA owners reportedly voted down a temporary plan to upgrade team flights out of fear players would 'get used to' the treatment

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12882154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="becky-hammon" source="Orion">Becky Hammon</keyword> will make more than $1 million as head coach of the <keyword id="11931768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="las-vegas-aces" source="Orion">Las Vegas Aces</keyword>.</li><li>Franchise owner Mark Davis confirmed that she'll earn upwards of seven figures on Monday.</li></ul><p>Becky Hammon is the <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword>'s first million-dollar woman.</p><p>The league legend and six-time All-Star left her longtime gig in the <keyword id="11910343" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nba" source="Orion">NBA</keyword> to become the head coach of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces late last year. Though it was <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-becky-hammon-las-vegas-aces-20211231-fq76qxaoqffgpatu54tyarnhmu-story.html">previously reported that Hammon</a> would become the highest-paid coach in the W upon joining the Sin City-based franchise, it wasn't until when owner Mark Davis confirmed his coach's <keyword id="11895363" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="salary" source="Orion">salary</keyword> would be seven figures.</p><div type="image" title="Becky Hammon." height="1667" width="2500" msid="89285273" hostid="261"></div><p>While introducing the new general manager and head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders — the NFL franchise he owns in addition to the Aces — Davis spoke about the importance of hiring Hammon and inspiring others to follow in her footsteps.</p><p>"Little girls, guys, anybody can look at her and say, 'She's just like me,'" Davis said, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BySamGordon/status/1488299701145268224">Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Sam Gordon</a>. "'A small basketball player who's retired and she got the job. And she's making a million dollars. I can do that, too.'"</p><p>"That was really important to me to bring in that kind of value," he added.</p><div type="image" title="Becky Hammon poses next to Las Vegas Aces owner Mark Davis." height="1667" width="2500" msid="89285275" hostid="261"></div><p>Hammon was a highly-coveted asset, especially considering she was <a href="https://www.insider.com/becky-hammon-wnba-head-coaching-job-after-underestimated-in-nba-2022-1">assumed to become the NBA's first-ever woman head coach</a> after spending eight years as an assistant to coaching great Gregg Popovich for the San Antonio Spurs. The historic payday from Las Vegas was likely necessary to lure Hammon away from the Spurs.</p><p>And the haul actually constituted a raise for the first-time head coach. In San Antonio, Hammon was reportedly commanding a <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/liberty/ny-becky-hammon-wnba-aces-20211231-erpl27u5ibbdnbgumw24hi3lmm-story.html">$750,000 annual salary</a>. Her earnings with the Aces this year represent at minimum a 33% increase from her NBA salary.</p><p>The shift is significant in the WNBA, where players and coaches alike earn significantly less than their NBA counterparts. But not everyone around the league is celebrating Hammon's historic payday.</p><div type="image" title="San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon speaks with Patty Mills." height="1875" width="2500" msid="89285277" hostid="261"></div><p>Free agent <keyword id="13082636" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="liz-cambage" source="Orion">Liz Cambage</keyword> — a 6-foot-8, four-time WNBA All-Star who most recently played for Las Vegas — took to Twitter to lament the fact that WNBA coaches can garner significantly higher wages than even the best-paid players.</p><p>The WNBA supermax — reserved for the league's top players — is worth $228,000 for the 2022 season.</p><p>"Ahhh yes the <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA">@WNBA</a>, where a head coach can get paid 4X the highest paid players super max contract," Cambage wrote. "Lmao and y'all think imma spend another season upgrading my seat on a flight to get to games out of my own pocket."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Elizabeth Cambage (@ecambage) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1488563913499181056">February 1, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Still, Hammon's move is significant beyond the dollar signs. The decision to leave the NBA for a WNBA gig helps signal that the league is a legitimate competitor for top coaching talent — not just in the women's game, but across all of basketball.</p>

Becky Hammon will make more than $1 million — more than any other WNBA coach — in her first year with the Las Vegas Aces

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Australian superstar <keyword id="5818154" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Liz-Cambage">Liz Cambage</keyword> has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics for <keyword id="6354774" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mental-health">mental health</keyword> reasons.</li><li>The All-Star was allegedly on the outs with the team for partying in Vegas and fighting a teammate.</li><li>Andrew Bogut seemed to mock Cambage, while another Aussie said she's an "unbearable" teammate.</li></ul><p>Liz Cambage is out for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.</p><p>The <keyword id="152792" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="WNBA">WNBA</keyword> All-Star and longtime leading scorer for the Australian women's national basketball team - known as the Opals - pulled out of the games due to <a href="https://www.insider.com/elizabeth-cambage-australian-womens-basketball-star-withdraws-olympics-citing-anxiety-2021-7">mental health concerns and fear over the "terrifying" Olympic bubble</a>, she wrote in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRYEHCurTpM/">a note posted to Instagram</a>.</p><p>But reports suggest that the tumult between Cambage and the Opals may have contributed to the decision to remove herself from the team.</p><div type="image" title="Liz Cambage dunks during the London 2012 Olympics." height="1477" width="1140" msid="84481836" hostid="261"></div><p>The 6-foot-8 center purportedly engaged in a physical altercation with one of her <keyword id="6355478" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="australia">Australia</keyword> teammates during a closed-door scrimmage against Nigeria's national team, <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/31824563/australian-opals-star-liz-cambage-withdraws-tokyo-olympics">according to ESPN's sources</a>. She and the teammate also partook in a heated verbal exchange, the report said.</p><p>Australia Basketball was investigating the situation, <a href="https://twitter.com/OlgunUluc/status/1415821697538662408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1415821697538662408%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sen.com.au%2Fnews%2F2021%2F07%2F16%2Fcambages-olympic-campaign-in-doubt-following-alleged-altercationtion">according to ESPN</a>, as well as allegations that Cambage had broken COVID-19 protocols to party in Las Vegas ahead of <a href="https://www.insider.com/diana-taurasi-all-star-game-team-usa-team-wnba-crapshoot-2021-7">the WNBA All-Star Game</a>. Despite being named a 2021 All-Star, the 29-year-old did not play in Wednesday night's game because she wanted to be fresh for the Opals' next game.</p><div type="image" title="Liz Cambage at the 2021 WNBA All-Star Game." height="2265" width="3020" msid="84481839" hostid="261"></div><p>The team will undoubtedly feel Cambage's absence on the court in Tokyo. She's led the Opals in points and rebounds since 2016, averaging a whopping 23.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in Australia's run through the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.</p><p>Some of the biggest names in Australian basketball are seemingly critical of Cambage's actions and the subsequent fallout with the national team. Andrew Bogut, an NBA alum and former Aussie basketball star, reshared a tweet that suggested Cambage's post about her mental health was not shared in good faith.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Andrew Bogut  (@andrewbogut) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1415934379981828097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2021</a></blockquote><p>A second former NBA player from Australia was a bit more forward in his criticism of Cambage. During a recent airing of <a href="https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/07/16/cambages-olympic-campaign-in-doubt-following-alleged-altercation/">SEN radio show "The Captain's Run,"</a> Chris Anstey said the <keyword id="9956867" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="las-vegas-aces">Las Vegas Aces</keyword> center is "unbearable to be around as a teammate."</p><p>"You kind of cross your fingers and hope a little bit with Liz," Anstey said, adding that Australia would "have a better chance [to medal] if she was a part of [the Olympics], obviously."</p><p>"At her best, Liz Cambage is one of the best couple of basketball players in the world."</p><div type="image" title="liz cambage" height="1666" width="2222" msid="84481848" hostid="261"></div><p>Basketball Australia - Australian basketball's governing body - showed support for Cambage after her announcement that she wouldn't travel to Tokyo with the national team.</p><p>"Liz has made a great contribution to the Australian Olympic Team over two Olympic Games campaigns," Chef de Mission <a href="https://australia.basketball/blog/2021/07/16/liz-cambage-withdraws-from-australian-opals-olympic-team/">Ian Chesterman said in a statement</a>. "We respect her decision and wish her the best in returning to full health."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Basketball Australia  (@BasketballAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1415910447832715265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

An Aussie hoops star allegedly broke COVID protocols to party in Vegas, got in a physical fight with a teammate, then pulled out of the Olympics to focus on mental health

<ul class="summary-list"><li>During a <keyword id="152792" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="WNBA">WNBA</keyword> game on Sunday, <keyword id="690640" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Connecticut-Sun">Connecticut Sun</keyword> <keyword id="6371482" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coach">coach</keyword> <keyword id="11112142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="curt-miller">Curt Miller</keyword> commented on <keyword id="5818154" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Liz-Cambage">Liz Cambage</keyword>'s <keyword id="17819" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="weight">weight</keyword>.</li><li>The Las Vegas Aces star later called Miller out with a scathing Instagram story.</li><li>Miller apologized for his "inappropriate and offensive comment" in a statement released on Monday.</li></ul><p>Don't mess with Liz Cambage.</p><p>The three-time WNBA All-Star and dominant Las Vegas Aces center called out Connecticut Sun head coach Curt Miller for allegedly commenting on her size during a game between their teams on Sunday. In a scathing video posted to her Instagram story, Cambage said she's "very proud of being a big b----" at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds and that she "will never let a man disrespect me - ever."</p><div type="image" title="liz cambage" height="1514" width="2019" msid="82920118" hostid="261"></div><p>"Especially a little white one," Cambage said. "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 <keyword id="76096" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Referee">referee</keyword> trying to get a call being like 'Come on, she's 300 pounds,' I'm gonna need you to get it right."</p><p>"Next time you try to disrespect me, remember I'm 235 [pounds]," she added. "It might seem like 300 pounds to your little ass, but I'm 235, baby."</p><p>Connecticut stayed undefeated on the season with its 72-65 win at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Sunday evening. But Miller likely couldn't celebrate his team's standing atop the WNBA due to the backlash from his ill-advised comments about Cambage.</p><div type="image" title="curt miller" height="1666" width="2222" msid="82920121" hostid="261"></div><p>In a statement released through the Sun Monday morning, Miller admitted to making "an inappropriate and offensive comment in reference to Liz Cambage's height and weight" and apologized to the Las Vegas star and her entire franchise for his words.</p><p>"I regret what I said in the heat of the moment and want to sincerely apologize to Liz and the entire Aces organization," Miller said in the statement. "I understand the gravity of my words and have learned from this."</p><div type="image" title="liz cambage" height="1666" width="2222" msid="82920127" hostid="261"></div><p>It remains unclear whether Cambage has seen Miller's apology. Though she had not pubicly responded to the Connecticut statement at the time of this article's writing, Cambage left Miller with a warning in her Instagram story Sunday night: "Don't ever try to disrespect me or another woman in the league."</p><p>"You're so lucky it was during a game," she added. "You were so lucky that I was doing my job."</p><p>Check out Cambage's full Instagram story below:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-W Lead  (@WNBALead) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1396671594324533248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

WNBA star rips opposing coach for commenting on her weight during game and says he is lucky it didn't happen somewhere else

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Australian basketballer <keyword id="3557049" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="elizabeth-cambage">Elizabeth Cambage</keyword> was set to compete in her third <keyword id="6360967" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics">Olympics</keyword>, but withdrew on Thursday. </li><li>The star, who also plays in the WNBA, tweeted she did not feel at her mental and physical peak.</li><li>Cambage said she has been struggling with <keyword id="6354774" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mental-health">mental health</keyword>, and said the thought the Olympic bubble is "honestly terrifying."</li></ul><p>Just one week before the Tokyo Olympics is set to begin, Australian basketball star Elizabeth Cambage announced she would be pulling out of the Games, citing anxiety and a struggle with mental health.</p><p>"Every athlete competing in the Olympic games should be at their mental and physical peak, and at the moment, I'm a long way from where I want and need to be," she wrote in a staetment posted to <a href="https://twitter.com/ecambage/status/1415903044957401088">Twitter on Friday.</a></p><p>"Relying on daily medication to control my anxiety is not the place I want to be right now. Especially walking into competition on the world's biggest sporting stage," she added. "I know myself, and I know I can't be the Liz everyone deserves to see compete for the Opals. Not right now, at least."</p><p>Cambage wrote that it was one of her biggest dreams to win an Olympic gold medal with the Australian women's team, nicknamed the Opals, but also shared that she was worried about playing in a "bubble Olympics."</p><p>"No family. No friends. No fans. No support system outside of my team. It's honestly terrifying for me," she wrote in her tweet, adding that she would be taking care of herself mentally and physically.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Elizabeth Cambage  (@ecambage) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1415903044957401088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2021</a></blockquote><p>Olympic athletes will have to follow <a href="https://www.insider.com/olympians-will-have-to-put-on-their-own-medals-2021-7">strict social distancing mandates</a> due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not be <a href="https://www.insider.com/tokyo-olympics-banning-spectators-covid-19-2021-7">playing in front of spectators at this year's Games.</a></p><p>Cambage, who also plays in the WNBA for the Las Vegas Aces, has been an outspoken and, at times, controversial player.</p><p>Her withdrawal comes just days after <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/australian-star-liz-cambage-could-miss-olympics-after-involvement-in-altercation-at-scrimmage-per-report/">Australian officials</a> announced they would investigate a reported altercation between her and another player during a private scrimmage against the Nigerian basketball team earlier this week. </p><p>She also previously threatened to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/basketballer-cambage-says-im-in-tokyo-after-race-furore-2021-05-11/">boycott the Olympic Games</a> due to what she said was a lack of racial diversity in the Australian team's photoshoots.</p><p>The Australian Olympic Committee confirmed Cambage's departure from the basketball team in a statement seen by Insider.</p><p>"Liz has made a great contribution to the Australian Olympic Team over two Olympic Games campaigns. We respect her decision and wish her the best in returning to full health," said Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman in the statement.</p>

A controversial member of the Australian women's basketball team is withdrawing from the Olympics, saying the Olympic bubble is 'terrifying'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12882154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="becky-hammon" source="Orion">Becky Hammon</keyword> has spent 8 years as an assistant coach for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.</li><li>Last week, the 6-time <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> All-Star was hired as head coach and GM of the WNBA's <keyword id="11931768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="las-vegas-aces" source="Orion">Las Vegas Aces</keyword>.</li></ul><p>Becky Hammon is ready to coach her own professional <keyword id="11896035" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="basketball" source="Orion">basketball</keyword> team.</p><p>And she's ready to win, too.</p><p>The longtime NBA assistant coach under San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich earned a record-breaking deal to become the head coach and general manager of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces ahead of the 2022 season. And in her introductory press conference, Hammon made it clear that she and her team will be ready for success right from the jump — no adjustment period required.</p><div type="image" title="San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon speaks with Patty Mills." height="1875" width="2500" msid="88721196" hostid="261"></div><p>"I know that the Aces are close," Hammon said. "I do feel like implementing my offensive system and defensive system is something that I'm really looking forward to, and I think that a championship is well within reach."</p><p>"That opportunity in itself to walk into a situation with a winning team and the caliber of players that I'll be inheriting from [former Las Vegas head coach] Bill Laimbeer and the foundation that he laid, I'm super fortunate and super blessed and obviously very excited," she added.</p><p>Should the chips fall in the Aces' direction, Hammon will indeed inherit a stacked roster for her debut season as a head coach. Las Vegas advanced to at least the semifinals in the past three <keyword id="12153988" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba-playoffs" source="Orion">WNBA Playoffs</keyword>, and with four WNBA All-Stars on last year's roster, Hammon should have plenty to work with moving forward.</p><div type="image" title="A'ja Wilson drives on Lauren Cox during a WNBA game." height="1667" width="2500" msid="88721197" hostid="261"></div><p>She'll start by working to retain the Aces' most lethal weapons. A'ja Wilson — the 2020 WNBA MVP who has rapidly become one of the league's top stars — is a restricted free agent, and other teams could pursue the 6-foot-4 guard. However, Las Vegas would have the opportunity to match any contract another franchise offered.</p><p>Superstar center Liz Cambage — who has been with the Aces since 2019 — is an unrestricted free agent. But the Aces still have their core designation, which they could use to block the 6-foot-8 Australian from leaving Sin City in exchange for a supermax contract.</p><p>Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Dearica Hamby — league stars in their own right — are guaranteed to return to Las Vegas for the 2022 season. But 2021 starter Riquna Williams, role player Kiah Stokes, and five-time WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry all remain question marks heading into free agency.</p><div type="image" title="Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum." height="1406" width="1875" msid="88721199" hostid="261"></div><p>"They have some really good pieces in place," Hammon said. "And what it's about is finding the chemistry with those players, building that foundation out, but then also adding a few pieces that fit the style that I wanna play and that I see moving this team in that direction."</p><p>"I can tell you the type of player that I really want is a competitive one," she added. "I will take a little bit less talent — I would love to have talent <em>and</em> super competitive — but I want really competitive players that want to be there and want to work hard and buy in right from the start."</p><p>Hammon is expected to transition to her new role with the Aces full-time in April. But until then, she'll be "pulling double duty" as she rounds out her tenure with the Spurs and ramps up her duties in Las Vegas.</p>

Becky Hammon thinks a WNBA championship is 'well within reach' for the Las Vegas Aces

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9917716" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aja-wilson">A'ja Wilson</keyword> has had a <keyword id="10997" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="statue">statue</keyword> erected in her honor.</li><li>The 2020 <keyword id="152792" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="WNBA">WNBA</keyword> <keyword id="92009" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="MVP">MVP</keyword> and South Carolina Gamecocks legend now has her own bust outside of Colonial Life Arena.</li><li><keyword id="112378" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="LeBron-James">LeBron James</keyword> joined the chorus of people praising Wilson, writing "that's so " <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1349819847853580289">on Twitter</a>. </li></ul><p>A'ja Wilson's name was already in the University of South Carolina record books, but now, her likeness will live outside of the arena where she made history.</p><p>The Gamecocks legend-turned-WNBA superstar saw a statue erected in her honor outside Colonial Life Arena, the Columbia, South Carolina stadium that <keyword id="1860639" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dawn-Staley">Dawn Staley</keyword>'s squad calls home.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—GamecockWBB  (@GamecockWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1349808932588498949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote><p>Wilson enjoyed an illustrious four-year career at South Carolina, earning All-America honors each of her final three seasons. She led the Gamecocks to their program's first national championship.</p><p>By her senior year, the 6-foot-4 Hopkins, South Carolina, native was the consensus National Player of the Year, winning the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, and Wade Trophy after averaging 22.6 points and 11.8 assists per game for the Gamecocks. And she's carried that success into the pros, where she <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-wnba-mvp-aja-wilson-tearful-thank-you-teammates-2020-9">earned MVP honors</a> in the <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-wnba-successfully-avoided-covid-19-outbreak-in-florida-bubble-2020-10">Wubble this season</a>.</p><div type="image" title="A'ja Wilson" height="1665" width="2220" msid="80277136" hostid="261"></div><p>After <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> of Wilson's new bust made its way to the internet, many stars of the <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> world flocked to the 24-year-old's mentions to sing her praises. Staley, Monte Morris, Jared Sullinger Sr., the SEC, the WNBA, and the University of South Carolina were just some of the many to send props Wilson's way.</p><p>Oh, yeah. And LeBron James.</p><p>"That's so  <a href="https://twitter.com/_ajawilson22">@</a><a href="https://twitter.com/_ajawilson22">_ajawilson22</a>!!" James wrote on Twitter Thursday afternoon. "Congrats ✊❤️"</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—LeBron James  (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1349819847853580289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote><p>She responded, "Appreciate it!" to James before sending a separate tweet indicating that his tweet inundated her mentions.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—A'ja Wilson  (@_ajawilson22) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1349820630443560961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2021</a></blockquote><p>Wilson has been a force for the Las Vegas Aces even since she joined the WNBA, and this season was no exception. Despite Las Vegas' depleted roster, Wilson carried the Aces to the 2020 WNBA Finals. This year, she'll look to finish the job with the help of some reinforcements. Superstars Kelsey Plum and Liz Cambage - both of whom did not compete in the Wubble - are expected to return to Vegas and help Wilson secure her first WNBA championship.</p>

You Searched For "Liz Cambage" and got 10 results

Liz Cambage accused of calling Nigeria players 'monkeys' in an on-camera exchange that ended her Australia basketball career, per report

Meredith Cash

Liz Cambage abruptly divorced the Los Angeles Sparks, and it could spell the end of her WNBA career

Meredith Cash

Players expressed outrage after the WNBA penalized a team for improving player conditions

Meredith Cash

WNBA owners reportedly voted down a temporary plan to upgrade team flights out of fear players would 'get used to' the treatment

Meredith Cash

Becky Hammon will make more than $1 million — more than any other WNBA coach — in her first year with the Las Vegas Aces

Meredith Cash

An Aussie hoops star allegedly broke COVID protocols to party in Vegas, got in a physical fight with a teammate, then pulled out of the Olympics to focus on mental health

Meredith Cash

WNBA star rips opposing coach for commenting on her weight during game and says he is lucky it didn't happen somewhere else

Meredith Cash

A controversial member of the Australian women's basketball team is withdrawing from the Olympics, saying the Olympic bubble is 'terrifying'

Matthew Loh

Becky Hammon thinks a WNBA championship is 'well within reach' for the Las Vegas Aces

Meredith Cash

LeBron James congratulated WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson for getting a statue, something even he doesn't have yet

Meredith Cash