Shock: Liz Cambage not returning for remainder of 2012 WNBA season
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
8/28/12 at 11:45 AM
Australian basketball standout Liz Cambage has decided not to return to the Tulsa Shock for the remainder of the WNBA season, Shock president Steve Swetoha said Tuesday.
The 6-foot-8 center missed a scheduled flight to Tulsa from Melbourne, Australia on Monday and notified Swetoha of her wishes in a phone call early Tuesday morning, Swetoha said.
“It’s her decision. We did everything we could to get her to come back,” Swetoha said. “We’re disappointed, but we have a young, good group that is starting to come together and we’re focusing on ending this season and building a foundation for the future.”
Tulsa owns Cambage’s WNBA rights through 2014, and Swetoha said the Shock remains committed to having her rejoin the team at some point.
“We’re looking forward to having her back with us in 2013,” he said.
Cambage, who helped lead Australia to a bronze medal in the London Summer Olympics, played her rookie WNBA season with the Shock in 2011, but has not been with the team in 2012.
She missed the pre-Olympic portion of the schedule to train with the Australian national team, and has missed five games since the WNBA schedule resumed, prior to the Shock’s game at the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night.
A Shock release contained this statement from Cambage’s agent:
“Over the past six months Liz has been involved with the Australian National team as they prepared for the 2012 London Olympics. She has returned from the Olympic campaign physically exhausted and is in need of some recovery time. Unfortunately this will make her unavailable for the remaining few weeks of the WNBA season. We are aware that this is an unfortunate situation and we appreciate and thank Tulsa Shock for their understanding.”
Associated Images:
Liz Cambage missed a scheduled flight to Tulsa from Melbourne, Australia, on Monday and notified president Steve Swetoha of her wishes in a phone call early Tuesday morning, he said. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World file
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