It's astonishing that Opals seasoned Liz Cambage suggests she has "no friends" successful the Australian team, starring sports columnist Peter FitzSimons says.
Cambage sensationally discontinue the Tokyo Olympics team connected Friday, citing intelligence wellness concerns regarding bubble conditions astatine the Games. She said that she had been suffering panic attacks successful anticipation of entering the bubble.
"The thought of going into 1 of the astir high-pressure situations, that is already successful a bubble," she said connected Instagram. "With nary fans, nary friends. I've ne'er played without fans."
Cambage, 29, has played for the Opals for much than a decennary but volition present beryllium incapable to adhd to an Olympic bronze medal won astatine London 2012.
"One happening that surprises maine is wherever she says, 'On the road, nary family, nary friends'," FitzSimons said connected Nine's Sports Sunday.
"It surprises maine that successful an planetary team, each those women that she's been playing with indispensable person travel up done the ranks with her successful Australian basketball. It surprises maine she doesn't person precise adjacent friends successful the team."
Cambage whitethorn simply person been making a favoritism betwixt teammates and non-basketball friends. However, erstwhile Boomers prima Chris Anstey claimed past week that Cambage could beryllium a hard teammate.
"At her best, Liz Cambage is 1 of the champion mates of hoops players successful the world," Anstey told SEN.
"At her worst, she's unbearable to beryllium astir arsenic a teammate. You benignant of transverse your fingers and anticipation a small spot with Liz.
"Clearly being successful Vegas and being successful COVID protocol hasn't suited her personally. It's disappointing that they can't enactment successful the bubble for a abbreviated play of clip due to the fact that it truly tin interaction each their teammates, and I accidental america arsenic a hoops nationalist backmost home."
Cambage antecedently formed uncertainty connected her information successful the Olympics owed to an Australian squad promotional photograph shoot, which she claimed had been racially "whitewashed".
She decided that she would not enactment past week and slammed "lies" surrounding the decision, insisting that it was made lone for intelligence wellness reasons. There were claims that she whitethorn person been stood down from the team, with the backing of teammates, had she not withdrawn.
It was reported that Cambage behaved poorly, some physically and verbally, successful a warm-up crippled against Nigeria. The WNBA prima denied having breached the team's bubble successful Las Vegas, arsenic was besides reported.
Cambage's aged sparring partner, Boomers large Andrew Bogut, criticised her behaviour successful a Herald Sun column.
"Everyone knows she has got intelligence wellness issues, adjacent starring into her withdrawal from the Olympics, and you privation her to get healthy, but astatine the aforesaid clip intelligence wellness doesn't excuse mediocre behaviour and behaviour detrimental to the squad and the radical astir you," Bogut wrote.
"Poor behaviour and engaging successful mediocre squad civilization tin beryllium a abstracted contented from intelligence health. Yes, ones behaviour tin beryllium erratic erstwhile facing a intelligence wellness battle, but this does not springiness you support to behave successful the mode Liz reportedly has.
"I judge her withdrawal from the Olympics, successful my opinion, is the repercussions of her behaviour."
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