Elizabeth Cambage could miss five more Shock games
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
8/14/12 at 4:59 PM
Australian Olympic basketball star Elizabeth Cambage could miss up to five more games with the Tulsa Shock before returning to play the final portion of the WNBA season, Shock president Steve Swetoha said Tuesday.
The 6-foot-8 Cambage has commitments with the Australian Olympic Committee in her native country through Aug. 20 and won’t return until sometime after that, Swetoha said.
"We knew about her commitment in February, so we knew what we were dealing with," Shock coach Gary Kloppenburg said.
Following the Olympic break, the Shock resumes WNBA action Friday by hosting the San Antonio Silver Stars, plays again Sunday at the Minnesota Lynx, and has five games in the next two weeks.
Swetoha said he hadn’t finalized travel plans with Cambage’s agent, but said he was anticipating her arrival around Aug. 26, in time for the Shock’s final 11 games.
Cambage, who turns 21 on Thursday, played her rookie season with the Shock in 2011, averaging 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
She passed up the first half of the 2012 WNBA season to work with the Australian national team and helped lead the Opals to a bronze medal in the London Games.
Cambage made world headlines Aug. 2 by driving the lane and dunking with one hand in a 70-66 win over Russia.
Cambage scored 19 first-half points in her team’s semifinal loss to the United States on Aug. 9, but was held scoreless in the second half, allowing the Americans to pull away to an 86-73 win.
Associated Images:
Australia's Abby Bishop, left, and Elizabeth Cambage, right, hug as they celebrate their win over Russia in a women's bronze medal basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics on Saturday. ERIC GAY/The Associated Press
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