Cambage: My call to miss cup

LIZ Cambage has fired back at reports she will be “left out” of the Opals’ squad for a home world cup, saying it was her call not to be considered for the team.

Reports emerged on the weekend Cambage would not be among those announced in the Australian women’s basketball squad on Monday, suggesting the move was a “big call” from Basketball Australia.

Sydney will host the FIBA World Cup from September 22-October 1 next year – the first time in almost 30 years Australia has hosted the tournament – and the Opals are looking to make a splash in the biggest event in the sport outside the Olympics.

BA’s decision to issue Cambage a formal reprimand, rather than a suspension, last month for her part in an altercation during a pre-Olympic scrimmage against Nigeria had opened the way for her to remain part of the world cup campaign. But the 30-year-old took to social media on Sunday to declare she had made the decision not to seek selection.

Cambage included a portion of correspondence from the national body “reaching out to you respectfully to determine whether you want to be considered as a squad member or not for World Cup 2022” in a tweet.

“Overlooked and left off what? That ‘big call’ was my call buddy,” Cambage tweeted.

The WNBA star is a matchwinner but also a polarising figure in the sport.

Following the Nigeria incident, Cambage withdrew from the Australian Olympic team, citing mental health issues including panic attacks. The Opals bowed out at the quarter-final stage in her absence.

The incident against Nigeria and other behavioural issues have reportedly frustrated Opals teammates for some time, though Cambage is taking ownership of the world cup decision, seemingly uninterested in rejoining the team, for now at least.