WNBA
Sean Hurd 6y

Wings' Liz Cambage says WNBA return in 2019 up in the air

WNBA, Dallas Wings

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- When Liz Cambage tips off against the Las Vegas Aces in the Dallas Wings' final home game of the regular season Friday, it could be the last time the center takes the floor at College Park Center.

The Australian star, who has had a record-breaking and MVP-caliber season in her first year in the WNBA since 2013, might not return to the league in 2019.

During an interview Tuesday ahead of Dallas' matchup against Connecticut, Cambage said a return to the WNBA next season is still up in the air. At the conclusion of the WNBA season, Cambage is scheduled to represent Australia in the FIBA World Cup before beginning another season overseas in China.

"I'll see how I feel after China," Cambage said. "I think I probably have five days at home [in Australia] for the rest of this year, until February next year. We'll see how I'm feeling."

Whether Cambage returns to the WNBA next year or not, she says the WNBA is not a league she plans on playing in long term. All season, Cambage has been vocal about the issues of concern for WNBA players including travel conditions, on-court play and pay disparity.

For Cambage, the price and physical toll of a WNBA season is potentially not worth the return.

"I've said this many times: [The WNBA] doesn't pay my bills ... playing here doesn't pay my bills," Cambage said. "We make more money overseas. I'm ready to have next summer off and focus on getting a European contract where its 10 seasons here worth the pay.

"It sucks because I love to be here, I love to put the game out there, I love what comes with playing here. But at the end of the day, for my longevity, I worry about my body, my mind and my soul. I really don't get paid enough to be beaten up every game. I'm not a WWE wrestler and that's how it feels sometimes out on the court."

Cambage currently leads the league in scoring at 22.8 points per game and is second in rebounding with 9.7 per game. She made history earlier this season when she broke the WNBA single-game scoring record by tallying 53 points against the New York Liberty on July 17.

In the Wings' following game against Washington two days later, Cambage scored 35 points, breaking another league record for the most points scored in a two-game span. She was selected to her second All-Star Game in three seasons as a member of Candace Parker's team.

The Wings, who have lost their past nine games, hold a half-game lead over the Aces for the league's eighth and final playoff spot with two games to play.

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