Basketball Australia released a statement on July 19 confirming its integrity unit had been called in for what was deemed by the organisation to be a “breach of the integrity framework and code of conduct”.
The star centrewithdrew from the team and did not travel to Tokyo,citing struggles with her mental health,including panic attacks,concerns about heading into another bubble and a lack of sleep,declaring she needed time to take care of herself.
Footage of the on-court incident was captured on a phone – the match was not broadcast – but industry sources say only a select few have seen the vision.
Industry sources have confirmed extensive interviews were conducted,including with the Nigerian players,as part of a report. ButThe Age andSydney Morning Herald can reveal Cambage,30,has now been ordered to also front an independent hearing,once her WNBA play-off campaign with the Las Vegas Aces ends this month. The Aces,with Cambage scoring nine points,defeated Phoenix 93-76 on Thursday to lock their semi-final series at 2-2 and force a deciding game five.
The hearing will be held in private,with Cambage set to appear via Zoom. Neither her Australian-based manager Michelle Tozer,of IMG,nor Basketball Australia,wished to comment.
The final report has not been publicly disclosed,and has been tightly held within the top echelons of the national body now run by new chief executive Matt Scriven,the former managing director of Nine Melbourne.
Cambage could be banned from future Opals matches,which wouldn’t be ideal as she is the national team’s most important and marketable player and Australia will next year host the women’s FIBA World Cup in Sydney.The Opals were knocked out in the quarter-finals by the USA in Tokyo without her. Cambage had flagged leading into Tokyo that could have been her last Olympics.