Liz Cambage has called retired the purported "lies" surrounding her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics.
The 29-year-old WNBA prima announced yesterday she was withdrawing from the Tokyo Games owed to absorption connected her intelligence health, highlighting the difficulties she's experienced successful the bubble during the Opals' lukewarm up games In Las Vegas up of the Tokyo Olympics.
It was revealed Basketball Australia was investigating an incidental with Cambage that was believed to person taken spot during a closed warm-up lucifer against Nigeria.
ESPN reported that determination was a "charged verbal exchange" arsenic good arsenic a "physical altercation" which prompted "discussions regarding the 6-foot-8 seasoned centre's "potential removal" from the Opals for the Olympics.
News Corp besides reported that Cambage was being investigated for breaking the Opals COVID-19 protocols by going retired successful Vegas, wherever she plays for the Aces successful the WNBA.
Cambage said the crushed driving her determination to driblet retired of the Games was owed to intelligence wellness issues, wherever she elaborate occupation eating and sleeping. This morning, Cambage took to Instagram to deed backmost astatine "lies" she said were reported astir her.
"This determination has been a fewer days successful the making but I've been astatine breaking constituent for a period oregon truthful now.
"But arsenic soon arsenic I enactment retired that small connection yesterday and made the last decision, I felt a satellite of anxiousness and unit and heaviness I person been carrying assistance consecutive disconnected me.
"I'm beauteous annoyed astatine each the fake quality and the lies I'm seeing floating astir successful quality articles and being shown and being asked about.
"I conscionable privation to accidental this determination was coming and I'm blessed I yet made it connected my ain terms. It's bittersweet that quality got leaked yesterday that I didn't adjacent cognize about."
Cambage confirmed determination was a "physical altercation" but immoderate of the details that person crept up successful the media are "crazy".
"Yeah, things got heated successful the Nigeria game. There was a carnal altercation and determination were words exchanged but I'm proceeding things that aren't existent astatine all, flying astir from radical successful Australia and America which is crazy.
"Everything that happened and everything that was said is connected film. I cognize what happened and I bash not admit the lies and radical perpetually trying to teardrop maine down. Hating connected maine won't bring you love, astatine all.
"But hey, I've been trapped successful this room, with nary view, with nothing, for a week. Of people I'm going to suffer my caput successful here, are you serious?
"I'm seeing reports I went retired partying. S---. I privation I did! I cognize immoderate of the radical successful Vegas person been having a truly bully clip this week. But I've been successful here, bro. I've been successful here. And the lone clip I near this goddamn bubble was for the All-Star game.
"I don't admit the lies. Don't you ever get sick of lying connected my name. Don't you person thing other amended to speech about?
"Yesterday was virtually 1 of the hardest decisions of my life. But it had been coming. I've been having breakdowns successful the carpark astatine Whole Foods. Non-stop panic attacks. Hyperventilating. At the thought of going into 1 of the astir high-pressure situations, that is already successful a bubble. With nary fans, nary friends. I've ne'er played without fans.
"The main crushed I sat retired the WNBA past play was my intelligence health. I'm not OK successful a bubble. I'm not OK playing successful beforehand of nary fans. Mentally, I'm an escapist. If I person nary flight from a situation, it gives maine anxiousness and I panic. And there's decidedly nary escape, but for leaving, erstwhile you get into Tokyo. And I would not privation to bash that."
Cambage's exit from the squad impacts the squad immensely and is simply a monolithic stroke to Australia's Olympic campaign.
Australia is 2nd successful the FIBA rankings down the USA and are considered golden medal contenders successful Tokyo.
It besides leaves the Opals a subordinate abbreviated for Tokyo, with Cambage 1 of conscionable 11 named for the Olympics with nary reserve exigency players.
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