Liz Cambage, a popular basketball player, was kicked from the national team after calling Nigerian players “monkeys” during a pre-Olympics practice match.
Cambage allegedly called Nigerian players “monkeys” during a verbal and physical altercation during a warm-up game in 2021, which was eventually abandoned. Cambage elbowed Nigerian center Victoria Macaulay, causing a gash in her neck, resulting in the incident.
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This resulted in physical vengeance, as well as verbal retaliation from Cambage. After the practice game dispute jeopardized the Opals’ Tokyo Olympics campaign, she was investigated independently and given a formal reprimand.
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Liz Cambage made the following remarks
Liz Cambage is seen elbowing a Nigerian player in the head in a closed-door practice game in Las Vegas, according to video obtained by a news site.
She allegedly struck another Nigerian player in the face, referred to the entire team as “monkeys,” and told them to “return to your third-world nation.” Before the end of the second quarter, the practice match was called off. The reports were validated by Nigerian players, and one of them stated,
“That’s what I recall, the term monkeys, yes. And go back to where you came from. She definitely did use monkeys or monkey.”
Another player corroborated that she was on the court when Cambage referred to them as monkeys. Cambage reportedly told the other team’s players before the practice game that she would prefer play with them because her Opals teammates were racist. On her father’s side, she is half-Nigerian.
Here’s the Video by TFG Sports Media
The Opals team had its problems with Cambage as a teammate said,
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“There had been so many behavioral issues that had gone on previously that we could write a book, but that [Vegas] incident happened to be the final straw which happened to be the worst one.”
Liz Cambage denies calling the Nigerian team a racial term
Last year, Liz Cambage was accused of making a racial insult directed against the Nigerian women’s basketball team. She said in a lengthy statement posted on Instagram,
“The incident that took place in the pre-Olympic scrimmage with the Nigerian national team was handled privately almost a year ago. I am very disappointed and hurt by the events and accusations that have unfolded in the Australian media. The account of what took place is inaccurate and misleading. I did not use the racial slur toward the Nigerian team that has been circulating.”
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Here’s the Instagram post by ecambage
She stated that when she mistakenly fouled a Nigerian player on the court, she was assaulted on the sidelines of her bench by that player. She claimed she was punched in the face and thrown to the ground, but she got up and walked away. “She stated,” she said.
“We did not have professional referees to manage and prioritize both teams’ safety during this highly physical scrimmage. This is not an excuse or justification to the events that unfolded or my actions, however, I feel that a full picture of the environment that led to this outcome must be shared.”
She wrapped up by stating that she accepts responsibility and accountability for her role in the incident. She had already apologized to the Opals teammates and the Nigerian squad during a team dinner the day following the event.
Here’s the Video by Back 2 Sports
With her 53-point performance against the New York Liberty in 2018, Liz Cambage owns the WNBA single-game scoring record. Between 2009 and 2021, the 30-year-old played for the Opals, winning gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, silver at the 2018 World Cup, and bronze at the 2012 Olympics.
