When Liz Cambage joined the Las Vegas Aces for the 2019 season, the all-star center from Australia instantly pushed the team into contender status. She opted out of last year’s COVID bubble season but returned to the court to win another WNBL title in her home country with the Southside Flyers in December.

The outspoken star remained a force of nature off the court as well, breaking boundaries as the first professional athlete ambassador for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty brand while also speaking up and raising awareness of mental health and race issues. Earlier this month, Cambage criticized an Australian Olympic promotional photo shoot for its lack of diversity and indicated that she might skip the Summer Games. She later backtracked and announced she would still “ball out for all those young brown kids back in Australia watching me,” in an Instagram post.

Cambage has proven in her lone season with the Aces that nothing else matters once she steps on the court, and she’s already focused on taking the team back to the finals this year. The Weekly caught up with her to chat about the 2021 season and more.

How does it feel to be back? Last year was crazy, and it threw everyone’s plans out of line. I’m just happy to be back in Vegas with the whole team working toward that goal we’ve been chasing for a minute now.

Were you able to stay in touch with your Aces teammates during the WNBA bubble season last year? I was dealing with a lot of stuff back home, so I kind of just removed myself from everything and anything that was going on last year. But I kept an eye on the girls, I watched the games and I watched the finals. It was hard, watching the girls get swept. But I think everyone learned a lot and grew a lot and developed a real hunger within as well. It’s hard to watch your team win or lose when you’re not playing, but the bubble wasn’t for me and that’s God’s plan and now we’re back together working toward that goal.

There have been quite a few changes on the roster since the last time you put on an Aces jersey. Does it feel more like a fresh start than a return to something familiar? I think there are changes within the team every year, but the key group is still here. A’ja [Wilson] is still the big dog. You’ve got [Kelsey] Plum and Jackie [Young] who is a beast, and Ji-Su [Park] has come back from Korea, all grown and strong and blocking my shots in practice. And then you bring in Chelsea Gray, a point guard I’ve wanted to play with for years. I’ve been in her ear since the Minnesota All-Star Game [in 2018].

What do you think about the Aces being considered a championship favorite this season? There’s always a lot of talk about everything. All I care about is what my coaches are saying, my GM, my agent, my teammates and what my mother is saying. They are the only people I listen to.

This is the league’s 25th anniversary season, and the WNBA is coming off a very important season with heightened awareness and exposure for a variety of reasons. Players in this league seem to have a bigger platform right now. How do you feel about the opportunities and responsibilities that come with that? I think when a person is a public figure, you have a responsibility to be a decent human. But at the end of the day, I play basketball; I’m not a superhero. I don’t look at myself as a role model. Maybe young girls look up to me for confidence, but I’m a human and I’m just doing my job and staying true to myself, and if you’re into that and you follow me, thank you, I love you. If you’re not into that, good for you, have a good day. Some athletes have a platform, and they don’t use it and some people do have a platform and they use it for good. Do what you want. That’s on you. I’m not really one to care about what others are doing.

Do you feel like you’ve spent enough time in Las Vegas to really connect with the city? Oh, I’ve connected. I spent a whole summer out here two years ago, I just wasn’t with the team last year. It’s really good to be back. I love this city, and I love how much love and support they give us.

There definitely have not been enough DJ gigs for you in Vegas yet. Definitely not, and it’s probably not going to happen this year because the WNBA has us locked down. I don’t know when I’ll have another opportunity to DJ out here, but it will happen soon, don’t you worry.

Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!