Liz Cambage has withdrawn from the Olympics, the Australian star announced Friday on social media.
— Elizabeth Cambage (@ecambage) July 16, 2021
“Every athlete competing in the Olympic games should be at their mental and physical peak,” Cambage wrote. “At the moment, I’m a long way from where I want and need to be.
“Relying on daily medication to control my anxiety is not the place I want to be right now. Especially walking into competition on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”
Cambage also wrote that the thought of heading into a bubble for the Olympics “terrifies” her and that she knows she “can’t be the Liz everyone deserves to see compete for the Opals.”
Cambage’s decision comes after reports that the Opals were discussing her future with the team following a physical altercation during a closed warm-up game against Nigeria, according to ESPN, as well as a “charged” verbal exchange.
The four-time WNBA All-Star allegedly also broke team protocols to go out in Las Vegas, and there have been reports of a third incident.
“Liz has made a great contribution to the Australian Olympic Team over two Olympic Games campaigns. We respect her decision and wish her the best in returning to full health,” said Ian Chesterman, Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Committee.
The AOC is looking into the possibility of a late replacement for Cambage as Team Australia prepares for a warm-up game against the U.S. national team on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET.