Liz Cambage a 'once-in-a-lifetime talent', says Opals captain O'Hea

Australian Opals captain Jenna O'Hea has opened up on the unique skills and work ethic which has made Liz Cambage one of the world's best, as well as their incredible bond during the latest episode of SBS series – TAB Courtside 1v1.

WATCH TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS - episode 10 - with Megan Hustwaite and Jenna O'Hea from 7 pm (AEDT) on Thursday, March 11 via SBS Sport Facebook, or catch up via SBS On Demand.

O'Hea and Cambage have won Olympic bronze, FIBA World Cup silver and Commonwealth games gold together for Australia, and when Cambage signed with the Southside Flyers last year, she said 'I just go where Jenna [O'Hea] goes - if you don't like it, take it up with Jenna'.

It's a statement that speaks volumes about their bond on and off the court.

"We've been through a lot together and we just have such a mutual respect for one another," O'Hea told Hustwaite on Courtside 1v1.

In the interview, O'Hea also revealed the shared career goal which drives them both.
"I just want her to be the greatest person and player that she can be and I just want to help her as much as I can," she said.

"We've won a couple of championships together, we've won the silver medal together - we just want to get that gold medal together with the Australian team."

O'Hea admitted it is difficult to put Cambage's ability into words.

"[Cambage] is six foot eight, and can literally do it all on the court, it's pretty rare," she said.

"You see her, you know, get the rebound and push the ball up the court, you see her catch the elbow and rip and drive to the basket, her footwork on her post-moves has improved out of sight, she's increased her game to the three point line - she's making three-point shots now - she can literally do it all.

"At training, you'll see things that she'll try that come off and she's currently over in America working on new things and she just wants to be great.

"She's, as you said, a once-in-a-lifetime talent."
The interview is part of an SBS series - TAB Courtside 1v1, which gives fans a chance to get to know more about the unique personalities from the NBA, WNBA, NBL and WNBL, which help shape basketball in Australia.

Hustwaite, who has been covering all levels of Australian basketball for the past 13 years as a reporter, commentator and journalist, will helm the weekly show - every Thursday at 7 pm (AEDT) via SBS Sport Facebook - where she interviews stars of the past, present and future.

O'Hea discussed numerous topics with Hustwaite, including the following:

0:27 - Leadership is learned

1:10 - Playing in the WNBA and Europe gave her knowledge she brought back to Australia and into captaincy roles

1:40 - Being a leader you sacrifice a lot personally from your own game

2:10 - Hearing herself described as Australian captain still doesn’t seem real

2:26 - Being national captain gives her goosebumps

2:46 - How Olympic preparations are going given continued uncertainty

4:05 - Opals camps coming up and every one the squad can get together is really important

4:50 - Played in London 2012, didn’t play in Rio so Tokyo will be her last crack at an Olympics

5:30 - Olympics and winning gold has been a childhood dream

5:50 - We have the team to win a gold medal

6:08 - Reflections of the WNBL hub season - it was draining

7:00 - After the year that was it was really special to end 2020 with a championship

7:20 - For a second straight year was injured on the eve of finals

7:56 - Knee injury was 4-6 weeks and the Grand Final was in 10 days

9:16 - To win the championship was a sweet victory

10:11 - The chemistry of this Flyers team is similar to her first championship nearly a decade ago

10:55 - Been through a lot with Liz Cambage

11:18 - Hard to describe the talent Liz is

12:19 - Role as a Lifeline community custodian

13:40 - The basketball community wrapped their arms around her following the death of her uncle to suicide and now through her initiatives for mental health.

SBS will again broadcast multiple regular-season NBA games per week in HD on SBS VICELAND and streamed live via SBS On Demand. Plus, every game of the upcoming 2020-21 NBL season will be LIVE, FREE and in HD via SBS On Demand, with select games also live on SBS VICELAND.


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Watch the best from the NBA and WNBA all in one place at SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service of basketball on SBS. Read more about Courtside
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5 min read
Published 11 March 2021 9:11pm
By SBS Sport
Source: SBS


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