'Crazy' WNBA pay irks Sparks ace Cambage

Liz Cambage will finally play for the team that she has wanted to since deciding to take her talents to the WNBA in 2011.

The Australian superstar was officially introduced as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday -- although she still isn't entirely happy with the WNBA's pay structure.

The 203cm-tall centre signed with the Sparks last week after two seasons with the Las Vegas Aces.

"I said I wanted to be in LA and I know it's taken 11 years," Cambage said.

"It's been a journey. I'm so excited that I'm finally here."

Cambage might have understated things when she called it a journey. It has been more of a roller coaster.

She was the second overall pick by the Tulsa Shock in 2011, but has played in only five WNBA seasons.

Cambage sat out 2012 to prepare for the London Olympics and then took a long hiatus from the league (2014-17) because she didn't want to play in Tulsa.

The franchise moved to Dallas in 2016 and she returned to the league in 2018.

Cambage played one season for the Wings before being traded to the Aces in 2019.

She skipped the 2020 campaign when it was played in a biosecurity bubble due to COVID-19.

When Cambage has played in the WNBA, she has been one of the top players in the league.

She has averaged 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds over her career as well as holding the record for points in a game (53 in 2018), four All-Star game appearances and the 2018 scoring title.

Cambage also hasn't been afraid to speak her mind on various topics about the league -- whether it is upgrading travel or salaries.

She criticised the WNBA for having a salary cap of $1.4 million ($A1.9m) per team after it was announced that former San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon would earn $1m ($A1.4m) as Las Vegas' coach