Liz Cambage Denies Verbal Racism Allegations During Match With Nigerian Women’s Basketball Team
“I am very disappointed and hurt by the events and accusations that have unfolded in the Australian media.”
Liz Cambage has issued a statement denying racism allegations against the Nigerian national women’s basketball team during an Olympics practice match in Las Vegas last year.
The former Opals player said on Tuesday that the way the event was depicted was “inaccurate and misleading”.
“I am very disappointed and hurt by the events and accusations that have unfolded in the Australian media,” said Cambage. “I did not use the racial slur towards the Nigerian team that has been circulating.”
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A clip from the Herald Sun shows Cambage elbowing a player in the face while grabbing the ball during the match last July, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
The News Corp publication reported that she then slapped the player’s face after a timeout, before being subbed out. Upon reaching the bench, Cambage was said to have been “king hit” by the Nigerian player, prompting claims of verbal abuse from the Opals centre.
Cambage, who is half Nigerian, allegedly called the players “monkeys” and told them to “go back to their Third World Country” after the scrimmage, according to recounts from members of both teams under the condition of anonymity, and as former Opal Jenna O’Hea told the ABC.
She said in her statement that after she “unintentionally fouled” with a Nigerian player on the court, she was later physically assaulted by them, but chose to walk away. “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,” said Cambage.
“I have taken responsibility and accountability for my involvement in what occurred. I genuinely apologised to the Nigerian team and I once again, am sorry that these events are being rehashed. I truly hope that I can move forward from this incident and apply actionable effort to be my best self,” she said.
Cambage is currently in the United States playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, and said last December that there is “zero chance” of her representing Australia in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup this September.
In 2018, she called out her teammate at the time Alice Kunek for blackface, and previously featured in an anti-racism campaign with former AFL player Adam Goodes.