Andrew Gaze believes Liz Cambage received the “harshest” suspension possible by missing the Olympic games for the incidents in the scratch match against Nigeria last year.
The Herald Sun substantiated reports on Sunday morning when publishing a detailed investigation into the incidents between Cambage and Nigerian players, alleging she elbowed a player and was racist towards her opponents.
Gaze said it had become a “sad situation” when addressing the former Opal’s recent statement denying she had said a specific racial slur, however, the Australian basketball great also commented on Cambage’s punishment.
The 30-year-old was found guilty of one of four charges by an independent panel, but not fined or suspended.
However, she subsequently missed the Tokyo Olympics, Gaze suggesting that is as bad as could be.
“There’s been a couple of people (saying) they believe there should have been greater sanctions on Liz Cambage,” he said on SEN’s The Run Home.
“It was a week out before the Olympic games... it may be a mutual decision because of her mental health and the challenges she was facing, she never went and represented Australia at the Olympic games.
“That is the harshest sanction you could ever place on an individual, in my view, to not be able to represent your country at the Olympic games.
“So there has been an enormous sanction, albeit that it may not have been presented as a sanction, but the consequences of this, she had paid an unbelievably high price.”
Cambage has not played for the Opals since but is eligible for selection.
She currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA.