Liz Cambage to step away from WNBA to focus on ‘healing and personal growth’

Four-time WNBA All-Star Liz Cambage is taking a measurement backmost from the league “for the clip being” and wished her departure from the Los Angeles Sparks past period had ended connected a antithetic note.

“I’ve decided to measurement distant from the league for the clip being and I’m hopeful that the WNBA volition bash their portion successful creating safer environments and a stronger enactment strategy for their players,” Cambage wrote successful an Instagram post.

“While I’ll miss rocking the purple and gold, I’ll beryllium taking this clip to absorption connected my healing and idiosyncratic maturation earlier providing clarification connected past rumours.”

The towering Australian joined the Sparks successful the past offseason and averaged 13 points and 6.4 rebounds successful 25 games this term. The squad deed a skid pursuing her departure connected 26 July and failed to marque the playoffs, which statesman connected Wednesday.

“Playing for the Sparks was a imagination travel existent and I’m honoured to person shared the tribunal with specified astonishing ladies for arsenic agelong arsenic we did,” she said. “I’m atrocious to person near abruptly and I privation it would person ended connected a antithetic note.”

Cambage agreed a “contract divorce” with the Sparks past period arsenic the squad fought to unafraid a playoff spot.

“It is with enactment that we stock Liz Cambage’s determination to terminate her declaration with the organisation,” Sparks managing spouse Eric Holoman said in a statement astatine the time. “We privation what’s champion for Liz and person agreed to portion ways amicably.”

Cambage discontinue playing for the Opals aft withdrawing from the Australian squad citing intelligence wellness concerns up of the Tokyo Olympics aft being embroiled successful controversy.

She was accused by players of telling her Nigerian opponents to “go backmost to your 3rd satellite country”. Cambage, who was calved successful London to an Australian parent and Nigerian father, denied the slur.