It’s very rare to see players leave their teams during the hunt for a playoff spot. It’s even rare to see a player quit their teams during the middle of the season. But that is what 6 ft 8 center did to the Los Angeles Sparks through a contract “Divorce.”
Liz Cambage, the Australian center, just abruptly ended her contract with the Sparks during the season. And this caused a shock to her teammates. Liz, who was frustrated with her teammates not giving her enough touches, had voiced her concerns before.
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When playing against her old team, Las Vegas Aces, her teammates acknowledged her concerns and kept giving her the ball. Despite that, Liz ended up with 11 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes of action. Her team was embarrassingly blown out as they lost 84-66.
After reaching the locker room early, she gave her final goodbye to her teammates. According to sources, she said, “I can’t do this anymore. Best of luck to you guys.” Her teammates were shocked at the timing of the announcement. And on Tuesday, the Sparks officially released her from the team.
Liz Cambage came to Los Angeles amid huge turmoil
The four-time all-star was the franchise’s prized signing in February. She had negotiated a one-year deal with a team herself after getting rid of her longtime agent. The Sparks had lost two-star players in Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray. Adding Liz has hope for an extended championship run.
But before the season started, there were already indications of trouble. Many players on the team doubted her ability to remain focused and committed to the team. They also told the team that they had heard from sources that she’s known to be a player others don’t like to play with.
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Before the season, Liz had requested to use the No.8 jersey, but that was set to be retired. So she asked for the No.1 jersey which was held by Amanda Zahui B. Despite requests from Liz and the coach, Amanda declined to give the number up due to holding a close attachment to it. But the management still decided to give Liz the jersey number she wanted and Amanda found out about it through social media.
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There was a lot of discontent in the team as Liz often complained that she is not getting enough touches in the post. Her teammates also replied, saying she was not in the current position and never sealed the post. The Sparks had a star on their hands but now will have to go through the rest of the season without her.