Under fire:Liz Cambage during her short time with the Los Angeles Sparks.Credit:Getty
“I also send well wishes to all my former teammates. Looking forward to seeing you all on the court,” Cambage said.
In theBleacher Report interview,Cambage said she had “struggled a lot with the Australian team”.
“I’ve said it constantly. I’ve dealt with teammates with ‘blackface’,I’ve dealt with coaches lying,coaches pushing other athletes to talk badly about me in the media. There’s been a lot,” she claimed.
The “blackface” incident was in 2016 when teammateAlice Kunek was forced to apologise for featuring in a photograph with her face painted brown.
“I really hope Australia releases me and FIBA allows it because my fans miss me playing. I’d love to do another Olympics. Paris would be fab. There is nothing like an Olympic village,it is one of the most inspirational places ever,” Cambage said.
“My last Olympics was hideous. Rio Olympics was horrible. Rio Olympics was one of the worst times of my life and that’s a reflection of the coaching staff and the team.
“I would love to start fresh with teammates that understand me,look like me,appreciate me and respect me. I have been talking with the Nigerian coach ... he has my back.”
Nigeria is now coached by Rena Wakama,who created history at the weekend by becoming the first female coach to win the Afrobasket championship when she led the national team to victory over Senegal. Wakama replaced Otis Hughley,who exited last year,but was only replaced on June 30.
Cambage has not been signed by a Women’s National Basketball League club for the Australian 2023-24 season. Shedeparted the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA in acrimonious circumstances last season.
Boomers veteran Dellavedova cut from World Cup squad
Roy Ward
Australian Boomers coach Brian Goorjian has made one of the toughest calls of his coaching career in leaving Matthew Dellavedova off his roster for this month’s FIBA World Cup.
The Boomers announced on Wednesday night that Dellavedova and New Zealand Breakers guard Will McDowell-White were the latest cuts from the team with the two guards not joining the team forthe three games at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne next week.
Dellavedova’s omission after such decorated service follows the decision to leave veteran centre Aron Baynes out of the extended squad and is another sign of the depth and talent in the current squad.
Matthew Dellavedova playing for the Boomers against China last year.Credit:Getty Images
Young NBA stars Josh Giddey,Josh Green and Dyson Daniels have all made an impact at camp and those three plus Patty Mills,Joe Ingles,Chris Goulding,Matisse Thybulle and Dante Exum will fill the minutes at the point guard and wing positions.
Goorjian had earlier flagged that he was preparing to make the toughest decisions of his coaching career as he shapes his final side for the world cup held in the Philippines,Japan and Indonesia.
“It’s going to be the most difficult thing I’ve done in coaching and I’ve done this for a long time,” Goorjian said earlier on Wednesday.
“We’ve had 18 elite players here that you have to get to 12.”
The squad is now down to 13 players with NBA centre Jock Landale batting an ankle injury which will keep him from playing in Melbourne but still see him available for the world cup where he is expected to be a starter.
Thon Maker,Sam Froling and Keanu Pinder were released from the squad last week.
Dellavedova,32,has been a tireless servant of the national team since he broke into the side during his time at US college St Marys and he remained a key player at three Olympics and two World Cups including on the bronze medal team at the Tokyo Olympics.
Earlier in the off season,Dellavedova announced he would return to NBL club Melbourne United this season to give himself the best chance to press his claims for a place at Paris 2024 although he also acknowledged he would continueto face battle to stay in the side and he was going to work as hard as he could to stay in.
The Boomers have not named their final 12-man roster and will take 13 players to Melbourne to cover for Landale’s injury before naming their roster and heading to Asia for their final preparations and group games.
SQUAD: Xavier Cooks,Dyson Daniels,Dante Exum,Josh Giddey,Chris Goulding,Josh Green,Joe Ingles,Nick Kay,Jock Landale (*injured),Patty Mills,Duop Reath,Matisse Thybulle,Jack White.