Cambage taunt took toll on Opal
O’Hea reveals Liz’s sledge
AUSSIE basketball star Liz Cambage told members of the Nigerian women’s team in a Tokyo Olympic practice match to “go back to your third world country”, her former captain has confirmed.
The taunt uttered by Cambage, born herself to a Nigerian father, triggered an oncourt brawl during the match which was held in Las Vegas last July.
Former Opals captain Jenna O’Hea on Sunday confirmed for the first time what Cambage had said to her opponents.
“Is it correct you were playing Nigeria and Liz Cambage had her feathers ruffled and she turned to them and said ‘go back to your third world country’?” ABC host Kellie Underwood said.
“That is all 100 per cent correct,” O’Hea replied.
The former captain also went on to confirm Cambage will never play for Australia again.
An independent review saw Cambage issued with a formal reprimand for engaging in conduct that brought Basketball Australia into ‘censure’ following the on-court incident. The star escaped a fine or suspension but is understood to have personally apologised to the Nigerian team after the match.
Cambage, who now plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA, pulled out of the Opals’ Olympic campaign in the days after the practice match against Nigeria – and a week before the Olympics began – due to mental health concerns.
The Opals were soon dumped out of Tokyo at the quarter-final stage by Team USA.
O’Hea told News Corp last July that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” and has since said she has struggled to move on from the incident.
“To be honest, I saw a sports psych for months afterwards trying to deal with it all and I do think that’s part of the reason why I have retired,” she told SEN a week ago.
“It took a huge toll on me and was really difficult … I don’t think I’ll ever fully process it to be honest.”
Aussie basketball legend Andrew Bogut slammed Cambage at the time, dubbing her comments which he had heard off the record as “absolutely disgusting”.
Cambage earlier in the week hit out at the Opals, saying she never felt supported and protected while in the national team.
“I’m living my best life. I’m supported, I’m protected on a level that the Opals or the Australian team never gave to me,” she told ABC.
“My heart lies with those who want to protect me and those who want me to be the best I can be and I never felt that at the Opals at all.”