Only 25 games into her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks, and 4x WNBA All-Star Liz Cambage is back on the market for a new team.
In a prepared statement, Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman remarked “It is with support that we share Liz Cambage’s decision to terminate her contract with the organization…We want what’s best for Liz and have agreed to part ways amicably. The Sparks remain excited about our core group and are focused on our run towards a 2022 playoff berth.”
Currently averaging a 13pts/6.4reb/2.1ast/1.6blk statline in 23.4 minutes per night, Cambage’s WNBA future is now murky at best. Although contract divorces in the WNBA are not unheard of, the timing of the move could mean that the 6’8” Aussie’s 2022 season might be done.
With only a handful of games remaining before the playoffs, and rumours that Cambage “quit” on her team making the rounds in basketball circles, it’s no guarantee that a contender will roll the dice on the talented 30 year old.
Cambage has unfortunately been making headlines more for her offcourt actions rather than her oncourt play in recent months. In addition to the contract divorce, and rumours of her quitting on the Sparks, the imposing centre was alleged to have been involved in a physical altercation and heated verbal exchange with the Australian national team last summer.
Conflicting reports also surfaced this spring that Cambage allegedly used racial slurs and culturally insensitive remarks during a scrimmage against the Nigerian national team in preparation for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
For her part, Cambage denies making any racially charged remarks stating “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.”
And there was also the social media dustup with Cambage’s former team, the Las Vegas Aces back in February, where the 2018 WNBA scoring leader appeared to take a swipe at new head coach Becky Hammon.
While some, including Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis agreed with the general sentiment that WNBA players should be getting paid more, others were quick to point out that a woman earning a $1M per year contract should be celebrated rather than torn down publicly.
Still, what began as a prized free agency acquisition for the Sparks has quickly deteriorated with both sides pointing fingers at the other as the cause for the breakup.
Then Coach/GM Derek Fisher believed pre-season that Cambage could be the missing piece to help the Sparks return to the playoffs after missing out on the postseason for the first time in a decade in 2021. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be as the Sparks struggled out of the gate, and Fisher was subsequently relieved of his duties only 12 games into the 2022 season.
Fred Williams was then appointed as interim head coach in a move that many expected would not only stabilize the Sparks, but also appease Cambage given their history together.
In an article she wrote herself for the Players’ Tribune, the veteran forward remarked “Eventually I returned to the W to play in Dallas, because of my coach Fred Williams. But once Fred got fired, I knew that my support there was gone. And that the only way I could stay in the league would be if I were living near my family on the West Coast.”
Yet even Williams’ presence on the sidelines, and a spot on a Sparks team that she had long coveted weren’t enough to make the match work out West.
If Cambage were to move on from the WNBA, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s elected to play elsewhere in her career. After voicing her displeasure playing for the team that drafted her 2nd overall in 2011, the Tulsa Shock, Cambage briefly played for the Zheijang Chouzhou basketball club in China. She’s also had stops in the WNBL (Women’s National Basketball League) as recently as 2020 as well.
Where Cambage ends up next, and whether she’ll ever suit up for another WNBA franchise again, are the biggest unknowns in the wake of Tuesday’s announcement.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Lorie Shaull. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.