Liz Cambage: Unseen Footage Emerges of WNBA Star Elbowing and Slapping Opponents Before Getting Rocked with a Punch

Liz Cambage, the Australian professional basketball player who has played in the WNBA since 2011, has been involved in a number of controversies in recent years. In 2021, she made some rather controversial remarks during a pre-Olympics game against Nigeria.

Now, unseen footage of Cambage throwing an elbow at her opponents has surfaced. In the video, Cambage was seen throwing an elbow at a Nigerian player while attempting to secure positioning for a rebound. Ahead of the play, the former WNBA star was also seen slapping other players.

The physical altercation resulted in retaliation from the Nigerians. During a timeout, one of the Nigerian players rushed over to hit Cambage. Needless to say, the situation escalated quite rapidly.

There were some reports that Cambage had even used racial slurs against the Nigerians, referring to them as "monkeys". However, the Opals player denied such claims.

Cambage Speaks Out on the Incident

Cambage recently spoke on the same in an interview with Bleacher Reports' Taylor Brooks. She also issued a statement on social media:

"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."

"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."

The Fallout from the Incident

The fallout from the altercation has garnered mixed responses from fans. Although Cambage has been staunch in her stance that she did no wrong, there have been contradictory statements from the Nigerian and even Australian players.

Some have accused Cambage of being a bully, while others have defended her actions, saying that she was simply defending herself. The incident has also raised questions about the culture of the Australian women's national basketball team.

Liz Cambage's Future

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.

While she wasn't kicked off the Australian team, she hasn't played a game for them since 2022. With recent reports of her decision to check her eligibility to join the Nigerian team, it seems likely that she won't be returning 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.

Full video of Liz cambage hit in the face by Nigerian player in pre-Tokyo Olympics scrimmage pic.twitter.com/qPYaTsjRVq — Sqootas (@sqootas) August 10, 2023