<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>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."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>"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."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.""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.<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>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>Cambage, who also plays in the WNBA for the Las Vegas Aces, has been an outspoken and, at times, controversial player.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. 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.The Australian Olympic Committee confirmed Cambage's departure from the basketball team in a statement seen by Insider."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.

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="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>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.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."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."<div type="image" title="Sabrina Ionescu" height="1405" width="1874" msid="89955802" hostid="261"></div>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."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.""It's tough, especially when this league is full of owners and GMs that want to do more," she added.Once the <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">Sports</keyword> Illustrated article came out, Cambage had a simple reply:<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>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:<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>Her teammate, 2021 Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere, was on the same page:<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>And Phoenix Mercury guard Shey Peddy offered some comic relief in the otherwise tense moment:<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>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."<div type="image" title="Breanna Stewart prepares to take a shot." height="1405" width="1874" msid="89955803" hostid="261"></div>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."Even Josh Hart, a player for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, spoke up on behalf of his counterparts in the women's game:<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>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.""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."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.

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

<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>Becky Hammon is the <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword>'s first million-dollar woman.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.<div type="image" title="Becky Hammon." height="1667" width="2500" msid="89285273" hostid="261"></div>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."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.'""That was really important to me to bring in that kind of value," he added.<div type="image" title="Becky Hammon poses next to Las Vegas Aces owner Mark Davis." height="1667" width="2500" msid="89285275" hostid="261"></div>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.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.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.<div type="image" title="San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon speaks with Patty Mills." height="1875" width="2500" msid="89285277" hostid="261"></div>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.The WNBA supermax — reserved for the league's top players — is worth $228,000 for the 2022 season."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."<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>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.

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

Good morning and welcome to your weekday morning roundup of the top stories you need to know.For more daily and weekly briefings, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter">sign up for our newsletters here</a>.What's going on today: <ul><li>AOC says infrastructure's a win. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-praised-35-trillion-infrastructure-bill-progressive-victory-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill as a "progressive victory."</a> "If it wasn't for progressives in the House, we probably would be stuck with that tiny, pathetic bipartisan bill alone," Ocasio-Cortez said. </li><li>Where isn't the bathroom? <a href="https://www.insider.com/decaying-house-in-auckland-no-toilet-just-sold-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A decaying house in Auckland with no toilet just sold for $1.45 million, an indicator of how hot the New Zealand property market is getting</a>. The sale of the house follows a landmark $3.5 million auction of an "uninhabitable" house in Australia that also did not come with a bathroom.</li><li>"No family. No friends. No fans. No support system outside of my team. It's honestly terrifying for me." <a href="https://www.insider.com/elizabeth-cambage-australian-womens-basketball-star-withdraws-olympics-citing-anxiety-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A controversial member of the Australian women's basketball team is withdrawing from the Olympics, saying the Olympic bubble is 'terrifying.'</a> Australian basketball star Elizabeth Cambage has pulled out of the Olympics one week before the Games, citing a struggle with mental health. </li><li>Farewell Whitespace. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lululemon-will-shutter-whitespace-innovation-team-leader-to-resign-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lululemon CEO announced in an internal email it will no longer use contentious 'Whitespace' name for its innovation team and also reveals the resignation of the group's leader.</a> Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald unveiled a series of sweeping changes as the athletic brand reaches an "inflection point," he told staffers on Thursday. <a href="https://www.insider.com/gymnast-jordan-chiles-mother-prison-sentence-delayed-olympic-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a></li><li>An Olympic reprieve. <a href="https://www.insider.com/gymnast-jordan-chiles-mother-prison-sentence-delayed-olympic-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Team USA Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles' mother granted a delay in her prison sentence so she can watch her daughter compete</a>. Gina Chiles was to report to the Federal Bureau of Corrections on July 27 after being convicted of wire fraud. </li></ul><ul><li>That's all for now. See you Monday.</li></ul>

You Searched For "elizabeth cambage" and got 4 results

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

Matthew Loh

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

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

Top Stories this AM: AOC's 'progressive victory'; Lululemon drops 'Whitespace'; a $1.45 million house - with no toilet

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