Basketball star Liz Cambage announces she is stepping away from the WNBA 'to focus on healing and personal growth'

By Issy Ronald, CNN

Updated 1013 GMT (1813 HKT) August 16, 2022

Liz Cambage publicly addressed her split with the Los Angeles Sparks for the first time.

(CNN)Four-time WNBA All-Star Liz Cambage has announced that she is «stepping away from the league for the time being,» three weeks after she agreed to a «contract divorce» with her team, the Los Angeles Sparks.

«Playing for the Sparks was a dream come true and I'm honored to have shared the court with such amazing ladies for as long as we did,» Cambage said in an Instagram post. «I'm sorry to have left abruptly and I wish it would have ended on a different note.»The 30-year-old Australian, who holds the league's single-game scoring record with 53 points, joined the Sparks in February and has since averaged 13.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 25 games. «It is with support that we share Liz Cambage's decision to terminate her contract with the organization,» Sparks Managing Partner Eric Holoman said in a team press release in July. «We want what's best for Liz and have agreed to part ways amicably.»Read MoreFollowing her departure on July 26, Los Angeles has lost eight of its final nine regular season games and failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Since she was drafted as the No. 2 overall pick in 2011, Cambage has sat out six WNBA seasons.«I'm hopeful that the WNBA will do their part in creating safer environments and a stronger support system for their players,» Cambage's post continued.«While I'll miss rocking the purple and gold, I'll be taking this time to focus on my healing and personal growth before providing clarification on past rumors.»The Sparks signed Cambage as a free agent before allegations that she had directed racial slurs