Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Elizabeth Cambage

Collected Wisdom: Elizabeth Cambage, Tulsa Shock first-round draft pick | NewsOK.com

Interviewed by Jenni Carlson, Comment on this article 0

Published: May 1, 2011 Modified: April 30, 2011 at 10:21 pm
Elizabeth Cambage doesn’t shy away from attention. Good thing, too. When you’re 6-foot-8, you’re bound to be noticed.
But the Australian teen basketball phenom, who was selected second overall in last month’s WNBA Draft by the Tulsa Shock, isn’t just a standout on the court. She is gregarious. She is outgoing. Heck, she wore an ostrich-feathered shrug around her shoulders during the draft.

The Shock is hoping Cambage brings not just attention but also wins to Tulsa. When the team opens this season on June 4, it will be coming off a six-win season where it finished second-to-last in attendance.

I’m trying to keep up with everyone back home, but it’s impossible. It’s the future there, so it’s really weird for me.

I nearly fell off my chair when I read (Kevin Durant’s tweet on draft day). My phone just seriously blew up. All these people were like, “Kevin Durant tweeted you. Why haven’t you tweeted back?” I’m like, “I’m sorry. I did not have time to read it between all those interviews and everything I was doing that day.” But I finally got back to him. I tried to get back to everyone on Twitter.

My friends back home are freaking out. Kevin Durant is one of my best friend’s boyfriend’s favorite player.

Mom got me into basketball to make friends. We just moved to a new town, and she thought it would be a good way for me to make friends.

I hated it at first. I was very, very uncoordinated. I was a very arty child growing up. All I wanted to do was draw and write stories and all that kind of stuff. I didn’t want to play sport.

My mother ... I thank the Lord every day that she brought me into this world. She’s my rock. She’s an amazing woman. A lot of her rubbed off onto me, I think.

I think I’m ready to leave the nest and start my own journey. It’s a little bit scary, but I’ve just got to turn it into a big adventure. I’m going to be miles and miles away from home. It takes 20 hours to travel, 20 hours plus. I’ll get homesick and miss my family and friends, but it will all be worth it.

I’m missing Australian food so much. American food, I don’t really eat fried food. It makes me a bit sick, so I’m struggling in that department.

Do you think I seem 19? I think I’m a bit mature for my age. Leaving home, you have to be. Moving to the other side of the world, you have to be.

I hated being tall when I was in primary school, but I learned to be myself. You can’t be anyone but yourself. I hope young girls look up to me. I’m a pretty good role model. I stay out of trouble. I don’t drink. I don’t party. I don’t cause trouble. I’m a really good girl, and I hope people look up to me.

I love ice cream. I really do. We went to Blue Bell Creamery. I didn’t want to leave. They’re giving me all these vouchers for ice cream. I’m like, “Guys, this is the last thing I need right now.”

I don’t eat fried food, and beer and alcohol has a lot of calories in it, so if I go out with the girls, I usually drive them home and I’ll get ... a McDonald’s ice cream on the way home. It makes up for it.



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