Sparks interim coach Fred Williams, who coached Cambage at the Dallas Wings in 2018, said he was surprised by the timing and that personal reasons contributed to her departure.

Cambage has also recently overcome a third bout of COVID-19 which saw her miss two games.

“That’s a Liz situation of her own - I think she thought about a few things, which are personal, and we [have to] respect that,” Williams told reporters.

“She chose to make a decision right now, and we have to respect that and pretty much move on.

“It was a surprise, I didn’t know what really escalated it - a lot of it could have been off-court ... having conversations with her afterwards, [we] just felt it was good for her personally to make that move.

“I think she gave it to the spot where she could give and some things may be crossing her mind she needs to focus on other than basketball, and we have to give her that respect.

“Liz had been down this road before.”

Williams said he hoped that Cambage would continue in the sport and the WNBA.

Standing at 203 centimetres, Cambage set the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points against the New York Liberty on July 17, 2018.

“I’m not in her brain right now but I hope she does have an opportunity to get back and play,” Williams added.

“Only time will tell.”

The Sparks (12-15) are sitting at third place in the western conference. Last month the team fired head coach Derek Fisher, a five-time NBA champion as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers, after struggling early in the season.

In a statement from the league announcing Cambage’s signing in February, Fisher said, “The Sparks organisation is ecstatic to partner with a dynamic person and player in Liz Cambage, who will elevate the franchise on and off the court ... The addition of Liz, along with our other off-season moves, puts us in a position to compete for a WNBA championship.”

When Cambage joined Los Angeles in February, she said, “It’s always been my dream to wear the Purple & Gold and play in LA,” according to the WNBA’s announcement of her signing.

AAP with the Washington Post