Liz Cambage apologizes to Sparks in first public comments on abruptly leaving team
When Liz Cambage abruptly walked away from the Sparks late last month, the team was half a game out of a playoff spot with nine games remaining.
The Sparks won only one more game before ending the season with a 116-88 loss to the Dallas Wings on Sunday and missing the postseason for the second straight year.
On Monday, Cambage apologized to her former team for the manner in which she ended her tenure.
“Playing for the Sparks was a dream come true and I’m honored to have shared the court with such amazing ladies for as long as we did,†Cambage wrote on Instagram. “I’m sorry to have left abruptly and I wish it would have ended on a different note.â€
Cambage also announced she is going to “step away from the league for the time being.â€
Despite enduring a tumultuous season, team leader Nneka Ogwumike wants to remain with the Sparks and help turn around the franchise in 2023.
The Sparks signed Cambage to a one-year contract before the 2022 season — with the four-time All Star agreeing to a deal below the league maximum — despite her history of sudden departures from teams. The Australian national team member declined to return to the Tulsa Shock for the remainder of the WNBA season following the 2012 Olympics, citing physical exhaustion. Last year, she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics less than two weeks before play started because of mental health concerns.
Cambage has not given a specific reason for leaving the Sparks and the WNBA, but she wrote: “I’ll be taking this time to focus on my healing and personal growth before providing clarification on past rumors†and “I’m hopeful that the WNBA will do their part in creating safer environments and a stronger support system for their players.â€
