Los Angeles Sparks

Liz Cambage announced in an Instagram post Monday that she will step away from the WNBA "for the time being" after leaving the Los Angeles Sparks.

She wrote:

"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. I'm sorry to have left abruptly and I wish it would have ended on a different note. I've decided to step away from the league for the time being and I'm hopeful that the WNBA will do their part in creating safer environments and a stronger support system for their players. While I'll miss rocking the purple and gold, I'll be taking this time to focus on my healing and personal growth before providing clarification on past rumors. Thank you to all my supporters, family and friends for all the love and light you continue to surround me with."

On July 26, Cambage terminated her deal with the Los Angeles Sparks.

"It is with support that we share Liz Cambage's decision to terminate her contract with the organization," Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman said in a statement. "We want what's best for Liz and have agreed to part ways amicably. The Sparks remain excited about our core group and are focused on our run towards a 2022 playoff berth."

After her departure, however, the team went 1-8 and was eliminated from postseason consideration. On the court, her loss was a big one—the four-time All-Star was averaging 13.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game across 25 contests.

But there were reports that within the locker room, Cambage's fit in Los Angeles was far rockier.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported before her Sparks departure that during film sessions, "sources say it was customary for Cambage to call out teammates, accusing them of looking her off and not targeting her. Teammates would counter that she's not sealing in the post and seldom gets back on defense when a turnover occurs. It was a conundrum that went unresolved."

After a blowout loss to the Las Vegas Aces on July 23, Haynes reported that Cambage stormed out of the locker room, telling teammates: "I can't do this anymore. Best of luck to you guys."

The 30-year-old has had an on-again, off-again relationship with the WNBA, skipping the 2012, 2014 to 2017, and 2020 seasons to play professionally overseas and for the Australian national team.

It's unclear if her cameo with the Sparks will be her final stint in the league.

The marriage between Liz Cambage and Los Angeles Sparks has come to an end five months after she signed with the team.

The Sparks announced Tuesday they have agreed to a "contract divorce" with the four-time All-Star.

"It is with support that we share Liz Cambage's decision to terminate her contract with the organization," Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman said. "We want what's best for Liz and have agreed to part ways amicably. The Sparks remain excited about our core group and are focused on our run towards a 2022 playoff berth."

Khristina Williams of Girls Talk Sports TV reported earlier Tuesday that Cambage "quit" the Sparks and "wants out" of Los Angeles.

Mike Robinson of The Ball Out first reported Monday that Cambage would leave the team and that "it won't be made public until Tuesday at the earliest."

Cambage signed a one-year deal with the Sparks in February after playing for the Las Vegas Aces in 2019 and 2021. She sat out the 2020 season because of health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was L.A. or out for me," Cambage told reporters after joining the Sparks. "There was nowhere else I wanted to be."

Despite their 12-15 record entering play Tuesday, the Sparks are tied with the Dallas Wings for the sixth seed in the playoff race. Derek Fisher was fired as head coach and general manager June 7 following a 5-7 start.

The Sparks have played marginally better under interim head coach Fred Williams. They have a 7-8 record since Fisher's dismissal.

The Tulsa Shock drafted Cambage second overall in 2011, but she only played in the 2011 and 2013 seasons before taking a hiatus from the WNBA to prioritise her career in China and with the Australian national team.

In 2018, she returned to the WNBA on a multiyear agreement with the Dallas Wings.

The Wings dealt Cambage to the Aces in 2019 after she requested a trade out of Dallas. The 30-year-old center made the All-Star team in each of her two seasons with Las Vegas.

In 25 games for the Sparks, Cambage is averaging 13.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.

Derek Fisher's tenure as Los Angeles Sparks coach is over after three-plus seasons.

Howard Megdal of The Next Hoops reported the Sparks are parting ways with Fisher amid a disappointing 5-7 start.

"After a thorough evaluation of the state of our team, the Sparks and GM/head coach Derek Fisher have agreed to part ways," managing partner Eric Holoman said in a statement. "On behalf of our ownership group, I want to thank Derek for his efforts and contributions to the Sparks franchise. We wish him the best moving forward. I have full confidence in Fred Williams to step into the role of interim head coach, bringing a wealth of experience leading WNBA teams."

The Sparks were on pace for their second consecutive losing season under Fisher. The team made the playoffs in each of his first two seasons but fell off a cliff last year, going 12-20. An offseason highlighted by the acquisitions of Liz Cambage and Chennedy Carter raised expectations, but the Sparks showed no immediate signs of improvement.

“I want to thank the L.A. Sparks organization, ownership, staff, players and fans for the opportunity they have afforded me over the last four years as a part of this historic franchise,” Fisher said. “Their support has allowed me to grow as both a coach and front office executive, and I am proud of what we have accomplished.”

Fisher previously spent a season-and-a-half as the New York Knicks' head coach, compiling a 40-96 record.

Los Angeles Sparks center Liz Cambage spoke out Monday to deny a report that she used a racial slur while representing Australia during a scrimmage against Nigeria ahead of the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo last summer.

Cambage responded to a report by the Daily Telegraph (h/t Matt Logue of news.com.au) which featured accounts from multiple players on the Nigerian national team.

The players said Cambage called them "monkeys" and told them to "go back to your third-world country" during an altercation in the scrimmage, which wasn't open to the public.

Cambage released a statement Monday on Instagram:

"The incident that took place in the pre-Olympic scrimmage with the Nigerian national team was handled privately almost a year ago. I am very disappointed and hurt by the events and accusations that have unfolded in the Australian media. The account of what took place is inaccurate and misleading. I did not use the racial slur toward the Nigerian team that has been circulating." 

The 30-year-old Cambage announced shortly before the 2021 Summer Olympics that she had withdrawn from the Australian national team to take care of her mental and physical health. She was later formally reprimanded by Basketball Australia after the scrimmage against Nigeria.

Regarding the incident during the scrimmage, Cambage wrote:

"After I unintentionally fouled a Nigerian player on court, I was then physically assaulted by this player on the sideline of my bench. I was hit in the face and pushed to the ground, but I walked away. ... We did not have professional referees to manage and prioritize both teams' safety during this highly physical scrimmage.

"This is not an excuse or justification to the events that unfolded or my actions, however, I feel that a full picture of the environment that led to this outcome must be shared."

The Daily Telegraph report noted Cambage apologized to the Nigerian team and her teammates for using a racial slur, but Cambage differed on that account.

While she acknowledged apologizing to the Nigerian players in her statement, she suggested it was because of her role in the scuffle.

The 6'9" Cambage, who is of Nigerian descent, was born in England and raised in Australia. She made her WNBA debut in 2011 after playing professionally in Australia.

After spending two seasons with the Tulsa Shock, Cambage went back overseas and played professionally in China and Australia, but she returned to the WNBA in 2018 to play for the Dallas Wings.

After one season in Dallas, Cambage spent two seasons with the Las Vegas Aces before signing with the Sparks this past offseason.

Cambage is a four-time All-Star and widely regarded as one of the WNBA's top players. She also won a bronze medal as part of the Australian national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Without Cambage at the 2021 Summer Games, Australia was knocked out by the United States in the quarterfinals and did not win a medal.

Los Angeles Sparks and Australian women's basketball team center Liz Cambage allegedly directed a racial slur toward members of the Nigerian women's basketball team during a scrimmage ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, according to an investigation by The Daily Telegraph.

Anonymous members of the Nigerian women's national team interviewed by The Daily Telegraph allege that Cambage called them "monkeys" and told them to "go back to your third world country" during an altercation in a scrimmage that was not open to the public. 

"That’s what I recall, the term monkeys, yes. And go back to where you came from," one Nigerian player told The Daily Telegraph. "She definitely did use monkeys or monkey."

Another player said: "I was on the court. She definitely said go back to your third world country. I didn’t hear it, but (teammates) confirmed she called us monkeys."

In addition to making the alleged slurs, The Daily Telegraph obtained a video that showed Cambage elbowing a member of the Nigerian team in the head and slapping another player during the incident. 

The altercation eventually led to the Australian national team calling off the game before the end of the second quarter. Cambage apologized to the Nigerian national team the day after the incident, but "it wasn’t well received by every player," according to The Daily Telegraph. 

"I think it was bulls--t, I don’t think it was a sincere apology," one Nigerian player told The Daily Telegraph.

Cambage eventually withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics, citing a need to take care of herself both physically and mentally. She previously represented Australia at both the 2012 and 2016 Games. 

"Anyone that knows me knows one of my biggest dreams is winning an Olympic gold medal with the Opals. Every athlete competing in the Olympic games should be at their mental and physical peak, and at the moment," Cambage wrote in a statement. "I'm a long way from where I want and need to be." 

Cambage, a four-time WNBA All-Star, is in her first season with the Sparks after spending the 2019 and 2021 campaigns with the Las Vegas Aces. She has also played for the Dallas Wings and Tulsa Shock over her six-year WNBA career. 

The Los Angeles Sparks have verbally agreed to a deal with four-time All-Star and free-agent center Liz Cambage, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

Cambage averaged 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game for the Las Vegas Aces last season. Las Vegas had the second-best record in the WNBA with a 24-8 record but fell to the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals.

She joins a Sparks team looking to bounce back after losing a three-way tiebreaker to the New York Liberty for the eighth and final playoff spot last season. While they fielded the second-best defensive rating, the 12-20 Sparks had the league's worst offensive rating and posted two separate six-game losing streaks.

Leading scorer Nneka Ogwumike (Grade 2 knee sprain) missed 14 games, while her sister, Chiney Ogwumike, also had a knee injury and played just seven games. Fourth-leading scorer Kristi Toliver (fractured pinkie) missed 13 games too.

The Sparks have added an infusion of talent this offseason, though.

Chennedy Carter, who has averaged 16.1 points over her first two WNBA seasons, is now on L.A. after a trade with the Atlanta Dream. Forward Katie Lou Samuelson, who had 7.0 points per game and shot 35.1 percent from three-point range last year, is also aboard.

Cambage is clearly a massive game-changer, though. She and Nneka Ogwumike will form an absolutely dominant frontcourt that could lead the Sparks to far better days and perhaps a deep playoff run.

As for the Aces, this is undoubtedly a tough loss as they enter a new era under first-year head coach Becky Hammon.

However, the Aces are not short on talent, with 2020 MVP A'ja Wilson, a fantastic shooter and scorer in Kelsey Plum and four-time All-Star Chelsea Gray.

They should still be a force to be reckoned with on a nightly basis, though the same could also be said for the Sparks now after the Cambage addition.

The Atlanta Dream and Los Angeles Sparks are working on a trade centered around Chennedy Carter and Erica Wheeler, according to Winsidr's Rachel Galligan and The Next's Spencer Nusbaum.

Carter and the rights to Li Yueru, a third-round pick by Atlanta in 2019, would go to the Sparks in return for Wheeler, the No. 15 pick in the 2022 draft and the Sparks' 2023 first-rounder.

Carter last played for the Dream in a 118-95 loss to the Las Vegas Aces last July. One day after the game, the team suspended her for conduct detrimental to the team.

Dan Padover took over as Atlanta's general manager this offseason. He said in October he would "reach out to each of the players on our roster, including Chennedy, and take the winter to figure out the structure of our roster."

In addition to Padover, the Dream have a new head coach in Tanisha Wright.

One presumed a new front office and coaching staff would allow Carter to have a clean slate in Atlanta. Instead, she'll have a totally fresh start in 2022 in Los Angeles.

The 23-year-old is averaging 16.1 points and 3.4 assists per game through her first two seasons. She has flashed some of the scoring prowess that made her one of the most exciting talents in college basketball during her Texas A&M run.

It's not hard to see why the Sparks would be willing to gamble on Carter's upside.

Los Angeles is creating a lot of cap space by exchanging Wheeler's $185,400 salary for the $76,297 owed to Carter for 2022. The team now has more wiggle room to sign a marquee star, with Liz Cambage the best free agent still on the board.

Surrendering their 2023 first-round pick could be a steep price to pay, though.

Next year's draft class will be loaded in the top half, with South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, Stanford's Haley Jones and potentially Kansas State's Ayoka Lee headlining the group. Lee can declare for the 2022 draft but indicated in January she plans to stay for her senior year.

Wheeler was an All-Star in 2019 and averaged 13.6 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Sparks in 2021. Considering she's eligible for free agency in 2023, that draft pick could be the real prize for Atlanta.

Should the Sparks miss the playoffs again or only muster an eighth-place finish, Atlanta will be in a great position to add a young star to its foundation.

The Los Angeles Sparks are reportedly retaining one of their most popular players.

Khristina Williams of Girls Talk Sports TV reported Thursday that guard Te'a Cooper has signed her qualifying offer to remain with the team for the 2022 season. Cooper has spent the first two seasons of her WNBA career in Los Angeles.

Cooper was originally selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the 18th pick in the 2020 draft, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Phoenix to cut some of its players, and Cooper was among those to be waived by the team prior to the start of the bubble. She signed with the Sparks as a rookie free agent.

In 51 career games with 16 starts, Cooper has averaged 8.2 points in 20.1 minutes. She improved her production in her sophomore season in 2021 with 9.1 points and 1.4 assists in 31 appearances.

"Te'a took on a bigger role for us last season and showed significant growth on both ends of the floor," Sparks head coach Derek Fisher said, per Mirjam Swanson of the Los Angeles Daily News.

"Her ability to disrupt the game defensively as well as attack the basket on the offensive end will be important for us moving forward," Fisher added. "We're confident she'll continue to elevate her game and be an impact player in this league."

The Sparks went 12-20 last season and failed to make the playoffs. Los Angeles lost star forward Candace Parker, who signed with the Chicago Sky and led them to the title, in the offseason and dealt with injuries to key players throughout the year.

The Dallas Mavericks are hiring Los Angeles Sparks star Kristi Toliver as an assistant coach, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

In addition to a prolific playing career in the WNBA, the three-time All-Star began working as an assistant with the Washington Wizards in October 2018.

The Mavericks are preparing for their first season with Jason Kidd at the helm. As part of the turnover in their staff, they saw former WNBA head coach Jenny Boucek follow Rick Carlisle to the Indiana Pacers.

Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that Dallas had interviewed at least two female assistant coaching candidates and "would prefer to go that direction if the right candidate is found."

It's unclear when Toliver plans to retire, and she's signed with the Sparks through the 2022 season. That hasn't stopped the 34-year-old from planning for her next steps, as she told the Washington Post's Kendra Andrews in July 2018.

Coaching has always been on my radar just because I want to stay involved in the game. I know that I love the NBA; I grew up around the NBA. So, now as I’m getting older ... it’s like, ‘Okay, let me see if coaching is what I want to pursue.’ And it is — 1,000 percent. It would be a dream.

Toliver's juggling of her WNBA and NBA duties led to some scrutiny after the New York Times' Howard Megdal reported in December 2018 she was only earning $10,000 from the Wizards, well below the typical salary for an assistant coach. The WNBA's new collective bargaining agreement enabled her to earn a more market-level salary.

Depending on the arc of her coaching career, Toliver could potentially make history. No NBA team has ever hired a female head coach as of yet.

Most recently, San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon was a finalist for the Portland Trail Blazers before they hired Chauncey Billups.