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Australian superstar Liz Cambage has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics for mental health reasons.
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The All-Star was allegedly on the outs with the team for partying in Vegas and fighting a teammate.
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Andrew Bogut seemed to mock Cambage, while another Aussie said she’s an “unbearable” teammate.
Liz Cambage is out for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
The WNBA 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 mental health concerns and fear over the “terrifying” Olympic bubble, she wrote in a note posted to Instagram.
But reports suggest that the tumult between Cambage and the Opals may have contributed to the decision to remove herself from the team.
The 6-foot-8 center purportedly engaged in a physical altercation with one of her Australia teammates during a closed-door scrimmage against Nigeria’s national team, according to ESPN’s sources. She and the teammate also partook in a heated verbal exchange, the report said.
Australia Basketball was investigating the situation, according to ESPN, as well as allegations that Cambage had broken COVID-19 protocols to party in Las Vegas ahead of the WNBA All-Star Game. 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.
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.
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.
A second former NBA player from Australia was a bit more forward in his criticism of Cambage. During a recent airing of SEN radio show “The Captain’s Run,” Chris Anstey said the Las Vegas Aces center is “unbearable to be around as a teammate.”
“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.”
“At her best, Liz Cambage is one of the best couple of basketball players in the world.”
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.
“Liz has made a great contribution to the Australian Olympic Team over two Olympic Games campaigns,” Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman said in a statement. “We respect her decision and wish her the best in returning to full health.”
Read the original article on Insider