WNBA Star Liz Cambage Denies Using Racial Slur Towards Nigerian National Team

WNBA star Liz Cambage has denied using a racial slur towards the Nigerian women's national basketball team in a scrimmage before the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

The Los Angeles Sparks center and Australian international reportedly elbowed a Nigerian player in the head during the closed door scrimmage in Las Vegas. She allegedly then told the Nigerian players to "go back to your third world country" and called them "monkeys," per the Daily Telegraph in Australia.

One anonymous Nigerian player said that falls in line with what she heard.

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

Cambage said in a Monday Instagram post that the reports were "inaccurate."

"The incident that took place during the pre-Olympic scrimmage with the Nigerian team was handled privately, almost a year ago," Cambage wrote. "I am very disappointed and hurt by the events and accusations that have unfolded in the Australian media. The recount of what took place is inaccurate and misleading.

"I did not use the racial slur toward the Nigerian team that has been circulating." 

Cambage emphasized in the post that she apologized to members of the Nigerian national team following the incident.

"I have taken responsibility and accountability for my involvement in what occurred," Cambage wrote. "I genuinely apologized to the Nigerian team and I once again, am sorry that these events are being rehashed. I truly hope that I can move forward from this incident and apply actionable effort to be my best self."