Liz Cambage: A Rising Star Tarnished by Racism Allegations and Pre-Olympic Violence

1. Heated Pre-Olympic Scrimmage Sparks Controversy

In July 2021, during a closed-door pre-Olympics scrimmage against Nigeria in Las Vegas, Australia’s star center Liz Cambage was accused of violent conduct and racial abuse. According to The Sunday Telegraph, video footage shows Cambage delivering a harsh elbow to the head and neck of Nigerian center Victoria Macaulay, followed by returning after a timeout to slap another Nigerian player. Allegations further claim that she verbally attacked the Nigerian players, calling them “monkeys” and telling them to “go back to your third-world country” SIFOX SPORTSESPN.comThe Washington Post.

Anonymous Nigerian players interviewed by the Telegraph confirmed what they witnessed: one stated, “She definitely did use monkeys or monkey,” and another recalled her saying phrases like “control your monkey” ABCthenewdaily.com.auESPN.com. The match was abruptly stopped before the end of the second quarter amid heated tensions .

2. Cambage Denies Allegations, Claims Mental Health Struggles

Cambage responded via Instagram, denying the racial slurs, calling media reports “inaccurate and misleading”, and stating she “did not use the racial slur” toward Nigerians theguardian.com+15ABC+15thenewdaily.com.au+15. She described the elbow as unintentional, saying she was subsequently assaulted by a Nigerian opponent, hit in the face and pushed but chose to walk away SI+8ABC+8The Washington Post+8.

She also explained that prior to the match, she had asked to sit out due to serious concerns about her mental and physical health, experiencing panic attacks, insomnia, loss of appetite, and relying on daily medication for anxiety theguardian.com.

3. Olympic Withdrawal and Organizational Response

Just days after the scrimmage, Cambage officially withdrew from the Tokyo Olympic team (mid-July 2021), citing the mental health reasons she had previously shared publicly. The Australian Olympic Committee and Basketball Australia supported her decision amid ongoing internal investigations news.com.au+10theguardian.com+10reddit.com+10.

Basketball Australia eventually conducted an independent review and issued Cambage a formal reprimand, but she was neither suspended nor fined, leaving her eligible for future international play—at least officially heraldsun.com.au+4ESPN.com+4ESPN.com+4.

4. Teammates’ Claims and Fallout Within Opals

Former Opals captain Jenna O’Hea corroborated the report that Cambage told Nigerian players to “go back to your third‑world country”, intensifying the controversy when she tweeted ominously: “The truth will always come to light, and it ain’t even dawn yet.” sportingnews.com+8ABC+8heraldsun.com.au+8. Anonymous Opals players accused Cambage of receiving preferential treatment, chronically arriving late to practices and meetings—fueling resentment among teammates ABC.

5. Leaked Video and Public Reaction

In mid‑2023, footage of the Vegas scrimmage was leaked online—including the violent elbow, slap, and heated exchanges. A Reddit thread quoting a viewer described Cam­bage delivering a loud hit, followed by what may have been her using slurs like “banana” that teammates urged her to stop reddit.comreddit.com.

User reactions on Reddit were harsh:

“Cambage smacked her in the face… She used racial slurs… you can hear her teammate tell her to stop after she says banana.”
“Liz Cambage is a real piece of shit… what’s strange is that she’s half Nigerian” sportingnews.com+6reddit.com+6reddit.com+6.

6. Career Aftermath and Nigeria’s Unexpected Invitation

Since the scandal, Cambage has not suited up for Australia’s national team. She declared she would never play for the Opals again, accusing the program of inadequate support and isolation ESPN.com+5FOX SPORTS+5news.com.au+5.

In a notable twist, in 2024 Nigerian star Elizabeth Balogun publicly extended a surprising olive branch: Cambage would be welcome on Nigeria’s national team, despite the previous racial abuse allegations. “We accept all Nigerian natives… so she is totally welcome,” Balogun said worldbriefings.com.

Cambage herself confirmed she had filed paperwork to switch her sporting nationality and expressed willingness to represent Nigeria in Paris 2024, claiming she had been in contact with their team and insisted “people don’t know the truth” insidethegames.biz+1sportingnews.com+1. However, Promise Amukamara, Nigeria’s veteran guard, dismissed Cam­bage’s claims: “she called us monkeys and told us to go back to our country,” she wrote on X heraldsun.com.au+3sportingnews.com+3insidethegames.biz+3.

7. Context and Controversy: A Nigerian Father, a Racist Outburst

The scandal’s sting lies deep in its contradictions: Cambage’s father is Nigerian, yet she was accused of racially abusing Nigerian teammates. Critics called the behavior especially jarring, given her heritage. Discussions on Reddit highlighted the bewilderment over self-hatred and identity, questioning how someone with African roots could use such terms against Africans reddit.comreddit.com.

8. Broader Impact on Women’s Basketball

This scandal had major implications:

Australia lost one of its top international players under a cloud of controversy, weakening the Opals’ cohesion quickly after her departure.

Mental health discussions were mixed: some saw Cambage’s withdrawal as legitimate, others as a deflection from accountability reddit.comtheguardian.com.

The invitation from Nigeria challenged norms—offering rehabilitation and transformation rather than exile worldbriefings.com.

9. Summary: The Tragedy of Talent, Turmoil & Identity

In summary:

A pre-Olympic brawl turned into a storm of lawsuits and racism allegations involving elbow strikes, slaps, and verbal abuse.

Cambage denied intent, retreated due to mental health crises, and received only a reprimand in the wake of Basketball Australia’s review.

Leaked footage and opposition claims strengthened the credibility of the accusations.

Her choice to never return to the Opals sparked questions about accountability and loyalty.

Invitations from Nigeria to welcome her onto their national team added a dramatic reversal to the saga.

Conclusion

The Liz Cambage scandal reveals how immense athletic talent can become overshadowed by allegations of violence, racism, and personal turmoil. Her case challenges fans and officials to balance empathy with standards—especially when the accused belongs to the same racial group they’re accused of targeting. Whether Cambage will ever reclaim her reputation, or find a path through Nigeria’s program, remains to be seen.

Let me know if you’d like a shorter summary, a focus on social media fallout, or deeper coverage of reactions from players and fans.