Girl's Got Game

LIZ CAMBAGE HAS REACHED OLYMPIAN HEIGHTS OF SUCCESS, PLAYING BASKETBALL FOR THE LAS VEGAS ACES AND SCORING A SPOT ON AUSTRALIA’S TEAM FOR TOKYO. BUT SPEAKING OUT ABOUT HER MENTAL HEALTH BROUGHT HER TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

- HANNAH JAMES

Liz Cambage has had a long night. ELLE’s hairstylist was plaiting her hair until 5am but, despite making it very clear she can’t wait to cut out the heavy braids, she walks on set like a true professional, striding over to the rack of clothes to ensure they’re to her liking. Thankfully, the mix of Adidas, Prada, Gucci and Balenciaga is right up her alley. Next, she grabs a slice of frittata (she’s gluten-free) before taking up position in the makeup chair, where a cool mask takes away any traces of the all-nighter. Not that there are any. Her smooth skin is flawless (a fact she owes to years of slathering on cocoa butter) and her eyes are bright and glinting with intelligence. This is a woman with the confidence of being number one in her sport. The first woman to slam dunk in the Olympics, she also holds the US women’s basketball league (WNBA) record for the most points ever scored in a single game.

But Cambage wasn’t always brimming with the confidence she shows today. “Being six foot eight [2.03m] since I was 16 has not been easy at all,” she says, wryly. However, “Growing up and being bullied, it’s not a sad story for me. It’s defined me and what made me so strong.”