The (virtually) final time she was on a WNBA court docket, the Las Vegas Aces’ Liz Cambage gave us this immortal second:
The interview encapsulates all that’s nice about Cambage — angle, ambition and absolute confidence.
After a one season absence from the WNBA, as Cambage obtained a well being exemption for the 2020 season (and sure didn’t need to go away the extra competent confines fo Australia for the chaos of the USA in the course of the coronavirus pandemic’s summer season peak), the unapologetic Aussie is again! Will she be higher than ever?
Cambage the comet
Whereas Cambage’s WNBA profession has been unbelievable, it additionally has been extremely irritating for WNBA followers.
Drafted with the No. 2 decide within the 2011 WNBA Draft by the Tulsa Shock, Cambage has performed solely 4 WNBA seasons, for a complete of 117 video games. As a rookie on an unraveling Shock crew that she, understandably, was reluctant to play for, she was the lone brilliant spot, incomes All-Rookie and All-Star honors. After skipping the 2012 WNBA season as a consequence of Olympic obligations with the Australian Opals, she returned to Tulsa in 2013. But, her 20-game 2013 season could be her final within the WNBA for 5 years, as she as a substitute primarily performed within the Chinese language Basketball Affiliation.
In 2018, Cambage made her means again to the WNBA, suiting up for the relocated and renamed Dallas Wings. Her influence was indelible, highlighted by her WNBA-record 53-point efficiency in opposition to the New York Liberty that July. Piloting the Wings to a playoff berth, Cambage, who led the league in scoring with 23 factors per sport, earned her second All-Star look and first All-WNBA First Crew nod.
Nonetheless, unsure about and uncomfortable with the path of the Dallas group, Cambage demanded a commerce. Though she had her eyes on Los Angeles, the Las Vegas Aces rolled the cube, hoping she would give Sin Metropolis an opportunity as a substitute of once more abandoning the WNBA. Cambage did certainly be a part of the Aces and, whereas accidents prevented her and A’ja Wilson from jelling right into a dynamite duo, she didn’t disappoint, securing All-Star and All-WNBA Second Crew honors earlier than giving us that tremendous second mentioned above.
Briefly, watching Cambage’s WNBA profession has been like looking the sky for comets. Throughout her time within the WNBA, she has burned brilliant, mesmerizing observers along with her play and persona. But, these thrills have solely been short-term, usually leaving her supporters questioning when they’ll see her once more.
And whereas WNBA followers may need Cambage had persistently performed within the WNBA, the diploma of self-determination she has exercised over her profession ought to be applauded. She has solely performed when and the place she has needed to play. Refusing to easily be pleased about the chance to play skilled basketball, she has pursued a hoops profession on her phrases.
Fortuitously for us, she is again within the WNBA for the 2021 season!
How does Cambage match with the #ALLIN Aces?
Earlier than COVID-19 disrupted the 2020 WNBA season, the Aces appeared ascendant. It was anticipated that the frontcourt rotation of Cambage, Wilson and Dearica Hamby, after an preliminary experimental season, would set up the coherency and chemistry essential to be higher than the sum of their elements. They had been to be bolstered by Angel McCoughtry, who was signed as a free agent in the course of the 2020 offseason to inject the Aces with veteran savvy and playoff expertise.
As an alternative, with Cambage remaining in Australia, Wilson flourished, successful MVP honors as she led the underwomanned Aces, who additionally had been with out presumed start line guard Kelsey Plum, to the WNBA Finals, with Hamby and McCoughtry serving as regular co-stars.
Because the Aces welcome Cambage and Plum again into the fold, additionally they will probably be incorporating one other celebrity in Chelsea Grey, who Vegas signed away from the Los Angeles Sparks as a free agent in the course of the 2021 offseason.
This assortment of expertise is why the Aces topped Swish Appeal’s preseason power rankings.
However, it may be arduous to wrap one’s head round how all these proficient gamers will probably be maximized. Cambage, like Wilson, is an MVP-level expertise. However, on such a loaded squad, will Liz get to be Liz? Will this comet, returning to the WNBA sky, be capable of burn her brightest amongst all the opposite brilliant lights of the Vegas Strip?
Cambage is not going to “get out of the submit”
Sure, Instagram will not be actuality. However, based mostly on offseason social media posts, Cambage will enter the 2021 WNBA season in the perfect hooping form of her profession.
Together with her health stage locked in, Cambage can mix her power and finesse to fluster opponents within the submit, whereas additionally conserving the protection unsettled along with her capability to step out and swish a candy midrange jumper.
Earlier than placing in work in the USA this spring, she led the WNBL’s Southside Flyers to the 2020 WNBL title, scoring 23.5 factors, grabbing eight.7 rebounds and swatting 1.7 blocks in 15 video games.
So perhaps it’s shortsighted to emphasize about how Cambage will “match” with all the Aces different stars. Her previous WNBA performances, together with present kind, suggests, a method or one other, Cambage will exert her will on the W, capturing the eye of followers, the ire of opponents and a variety of accolades.