Former Australian basketball star Liz Cambage says she is in talks to play for the Nigerian team at the Paris Olympics in an interview in which she opened up on her “hideous” experience with the Opals.

Cambage has been all-but barred from representing the Opals since an ugly incident that involved the Nigerians in a warm-up match before the Tokyo Games in 2021.

The player was involved in both a physical and verbal altercation with players from Nigeria, which led to her being dumped from the national side before the Olympics started.

In a wide-ranging interview with Taylor Rooks of the Bleacher Report, podcast the former Opals centre claimed she was now planning to join the Nigerian national basketball team.

The 31-year-old Cambage allegedly called Nigerian players “monkeys” amid a physical altercation during a warm-up game of the Opal’s 2021 Olympic campaign.

She also reportedly told them to “go back to their third-world country”.

Cambage, who confirmed that were “words exchanged” between the two teams, refuted claims of racial slurs aimed at Nigerian players while speaking of her reluctance to compete for Australia.

“A lot of girls don’t like me and a lot of times I say no to something, people really want to make me look like the issue,” Cambage said.

“I don’t really lean towards racially backed insults. That’s not how I go. I’m very pro-Black. I did not say these things to these girls.

Cambage withdrew from Australia’s Tokyo Games team due to mental health concerns and a string of behavioural allegations.

She did not address why multiple players from both the Australian and Nigerian teams claimed she made the remarks.

With a Nigerian father, Cambage is eligible to play for the African country and says they have been courting her. For the switch to happen, Nigeria must request Cambage’s release through basketball governing body FIBA before Basketball Australia can sign off.

When pressed why her side of the story was so “dramatically different” to others,  Cambage replied: “Because the truth looks a lot worse for other organisations involved, than using me as a scapegoat.”

“Why does Nigeria want me to leave Australia and go and represent them?” she said.

“We’re filing for me to leave the Australian team, so I can represent Nigeria.”

However, veteran Nigerian women’s basketballer Promise Amukamara shut down Cambage’s claims.

“I’m sorry but this is False. Lol,” she tweeted.

“Literally everyone from both teams have the same story BUT her, so y’all do the math!”

Cambage said she wanted to resurrect her international career for her fans and that would love to play at another Olympics.

“I really hope Australia releases me and FIBA allows it because my fans miss me playing,” she told the podcast.

“I’d love to do another Olympics. Paris would be fab.

“Rio Olympics was one of the worst times of my life and that’s a reflection of the coaching staff and the team.

“I would love to start fresh with teammates that understand me, look like me, appreciate me and respect me.”