“The incident that took place in the pre-Olympic scrimmage with the Nigerian national team was handled privately almost a year ago,” Cambage, who was playing for the Australian women’s national team at the time, wrote Sunday night in a statement posted to Instagram.
News Corp Australia said it obtained video from the scrimmage — held on July 13, 2021, the day before the WNBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas — that showed Cambage elbowing one Nigerian opponent in the head and neck, before a timeout is called and Cambage is taken out of the game.
In her Instagram post on Sunday, Cambage wrote, “After I unintentionally fouled a Nigerian player on court, I was then physically assaulted by this player on the sideline of my bench.
According to The Sunday Telegraph, Cambage apologized for her actions during a Nigerian team dinner the day after the scrimmage.
Cambage, who played for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces in 2019 and 2021, suited up for the All-Star Game the next day but did not take the court.
Basketball Australia conducted an independent review of Cambage’s conduct during the scrimmage with Nigeria, and it announced in November that she would receive a formal reprimand but would not be fined or suspended.
Team Australia coach Sandy Brondello, who now coaches the WNBA’s New York Liberty, said during a pregame video call on Sunday of the Cambage-Nigeria incident, “Right now, I’m not going to make a comment.
“We had some conversations internally — ownership, some of our players, management — and made the decision that Liz would be a welcome part of our team,” Fisher said.
Because of her extensive past with USA Basketball, though, Nneka was denied a chance to play with Nigeria, in accordance with FIBA regulations, and Chiney opted not to play.
Whatever agenda is happening with it resurfacing, that’s other people’s business,” she said.
