Imposing Cambage sparking the Flame

Liz Cambage is determined to make up for lost time by helping the Shanxi Flame end its four-year WCBA title drought.

The Australian signed with the Taiyuan-based franchise last year, but had to wait until this season to make her debut due to an ankle injury.

The 6-foot-8 center has been the star of the show for the Flame this season, helping her team stay perfect so far this term. Cambage again provided the spark on Saturday, contributing 30 points and 13 rebounds as Shanxi defeated Zhejiang 94-84 for the three-time champion's fourth straight win.

Shanxi's domestic players also showed their shooting form, with Guo Zixuan and Liu Jiacen netting 16 points apiece.

"I always want to win a WCBA championship," Cambage told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"Shanxi is a very strong team and I feel lucky to be part of it. But I was very upset that I couldn't play last season. I was injured and didn't play for eight months. It was a very tough year."

Having also plied her trade with Zhejiang, Beijing and Shanghai, Cambage is no stranger to the WCBA, and speaks highly of both the league and China as a whole.

"It's a very strong league. I've loved my time in the WCBA. It has taught me a lot about myself," said the Aussie. "Because there is a rule that there can only be one foreign player in each team, that puts a lot of pressure on me.

"I'm very thankful for my time because it has made me a killer, a strong scorer on the court. And I've got to see so much of this country. If I didn't play basketball here, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to see China, so I'm very grateful."

Cambage has come up against plenty of her WCBA rivals and teammates on international duty, an experience she describes as "like playing against my sisters".

"China's coach (Xu Limin) was my coach in Beijing. It's great to see familiar faces when I go against China. They have very strong girls and a lot of talent," she said.

Cambage has been utterly dominant in the paint this term. Last Thursday against Tianjin, she shot 13 of 19 from the field to score a game-high 31 points in less than 24 minutes, with Tianjin coach Miroslav Popov admitting that his team simply "didn't have the tools" to cope with the towering Aussie. On Saturday, it was Zhejiang's turn to suffer.

"I just focus on my game. I try to rebound, block shots and make my points," said Cambage. "A lot of teams are worried about me. It opens up the court for other girls. It's not just about me. I like to play a team game."

In July last year, Cambage set a WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points for the Dallas Wings.

However, she has tried to play down expectations that she might repeat the feat in China.

"I don't go out to break records. I go out to win games. If it happens one day, it happens. But right now we just focus on winning as a team," she said.

Cambage's bid for a WCBA title has been made more difficult by a rule that restricts foreign stars to playing three quarters against certain opposition.

"In some games, I'm not allowed to play a quarter. Every game is tough," said Cambage.

"But our team is great and our girls are strong, so we will do well."

Xinhua