Australian Opals drop Liz Cambage from qualifiying tourney after star misses camp to attend a music festival

Australian Olympian Liz Cambage will not play in the upcoming FIBA Oceania Championships because the team dropped her after she chose to attend a music festival instead of showing up for camp on time.

She was slated to arrive at camp this past weekend to train for a three-game series against Japan this week, a tune-up for the FIBA tournament. However, the 23-year-old decided to attend the Splendour in the Grass music festival for what she says was a piad appearance to be the host for a band. She spend the last year recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon and the Opals were looking forward to having her back on the squad. Several Opals are unavailable for camp because they are playing in the WNBA this summers.

Her teammate, Rachel Jarry was disappointed.

“It doesn’t fit in with the culture we are building – you can’t choose a music festival over a camp,” Jarry said to the Sydney Morning Herald. “She is letting her teammates down and I just wish she could have been a part of these games but it’s not to be.

Basketball Australia’s statement:

Cambage has made herself unavailable for the three games, starting Monday night. As a consequence, Cambage is unavailable for selection for the upcoming FIBA Oceania Championships where the Jayco Australian Opals will play New Zealand starting August 15 in Melbourne.

Basketball Australia will continue to assist Cambage in her rehabilitation from an Achilles injury.