Liz Cambage played 25 games with the Sparks before parting ways with the team. Los Angeles has nine games left in the regular season. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – Liz Cambage was jogging on the court with a complaint Saturday against her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, a source told Yahoo Sports. Her criticism stemmed from not getting enough touches from her Los Angeles Sparks teammates, which sources close to the team said was common practice for the four-time WNBA All-Star.
Teammates couldn’t help but admit to Cambage’s displeasure and, out of anger, began force-feeding the ball regardless of the play that was supposed to be run, sources say. After the Sparks’ 84-66 embarrassing loss, Cambage rushed to the locker room to get dressed after leaving the court after finishing with 11 points and five boards in 22 minutes. Before leaving the dressing room, she had a message for her teammates:
“I can’t do this right now. Good luck to you guys,” she said before leaving, according to a source familiar with her exit.
Her friends were shocked by the timing, sources say, but not by the end result.
On Tuesday, the Sparks announced they had agreed to a “separation agreement” with Cambage, who ended her lone season after 25 games with the organization.
Cambage could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Cambage had conflict in WNBA long before stop in Los Angeles
The 6-foot-8 star was the franchise’s most expensive offseason acquisition when he signed as a free agent in February. See the article : MLB business rumors: Yankees rethink Andrew Benintendi’s pursuit with side defender ineligible in Toronto. She personally negotiated her one-year, $170,000 deal after parting ways with her longtime agent Allison Galer.
The Sparks have had two cornerbacks in recent years in Candace Parker to the Chicago Sky and Chelsea Gray to the Aces. The addition of Cambage has given life to the championship window with another leading the way, similar to Lisa Leslie and Parker during the Sparks glory days.
She ended her career with the Tulsa Shock in 2013, the team that drafted her with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft. Tulsa retained its rights and later became the Dallas Wings. From 2013-2018, she played abroad. Cambage requested a trade from the Wings in 2019, a year after signing a multi-year deal.
In the lead-up to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Cambage – an Australian citizen and member of the Australian national team – reportedly called Nigerian national team players “monkeys” during a training camp. She withdrew weeks before the race, citing mental health concerns.
The word “monkey” could not make it easy for the Sparks veterans – Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike – who are brothers of Nigerian origin who are actively appealing against FIBA’s rejection of their request to play for the Nigerian national team.
Derek Fisher, the Sparks’ head coach and general manager until he was fired in June, brought Cambage to Los Angeles.
Many players on the team felt the center could help Sparks if she was focused and committed, but expressed concern that she would be known as a player others didn’t want to play with, sources said.
Despite these reservations, Fisher took the star.
Sparks players take issue with team’s managing of Cambage, and club’s other issues
Before the start of the 2022 WNBA season, things are already off to a good start. To see also : The Wilds Season 3 is not coming in July 2022.
Cambage asked to wear No. 8, but Sparks informed her that the number would be retired in honor of DeLisha Milton-Jones, sources said. So she applied for number 1, but that number belonged to striker Amanda Zahui B.
According to sources, Fisher approached Zahui B. to give her Cambage’s number and she politely declined, explaining the number meant a lot to her. Cambage still wanted the number. Time went on and sources said that the management finally made a call to give the number to the new center to start from.
Zahui B. found out her number was given out on social media, sources say.
The trend has ruffled feathers in the dressing room, sources say.
In an unrelated move, the Sparks will suspend Zahui B. for the 2022 season. According to team sources, Fisher understood that her overseas commitment would force her to miss the first 13 games and the team would need to complete its roster before the regular season. A suspended player does not receive a salary for that season, and the club retains the player’s rights.
For the past few years, Sparks players have complained about a lack of leadership, delegation and accountability from the top brass.
At the film sessions, sources say it was Cambage’s habit of calling out her friends, accusing them of ignoring her and not targeting her. Teammates prevent them from being on the ball and rarely get back on defense when a turnover occurs. It was an unresolved conflict.
One of the club’s ongoing complaints is the club’s training ground.
The Sparks practice Jump Beyond Sports Complex most of the season and have been described as the worst center in the league, sources say. Fishermen and crew chose this location before the season to the chagrin of most players, sources say.
“AAU teams don’t want to play there,” one player said.
Fisher did not respond to questions via text message from Yahoo Sports.
This month, the Sparks held some practice sessions at USC and Crypto.com Arena.
Former Los Angeles Sparks center Liz Cambage attends the 2022 ESPYs at the Dolby Theater on July 20, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
What’s next for Liz Cambage?
Cambage is posting her lowest numbers since her rookie season, averaging 13 points and 6.4 rebounds. He was not voted into the Chicago All-Star game. Cambage was seen in Las Vegas during the NBA Summer League and later tested positive for COVID-19. To see also : Everything We Know About The New BTS Video Game ‘BTS Island: In the SEOM’. She missed two games before returning to play July 21 against Atlanta and Saturday against the Aces. These would be her last games for the Sparks.
Where does cambage grow here?
No WNBA teams are currently interested, sources say. Some believe that Cambage will use the downtime to focus on her modeling and deejaying skills, skills that are said to be highly praised.
One constant question asked by WNBA players around the league about Cambage: “If she can’t do it in a locker room full of professional veterans, where can she do it?”
