The Tulsa Shock have been working on trimming the preseason roster down to 11 players by May 23. But Thursday they went the wrong direction.
The Shock announced the addition of Elizabeth Cambage to the 2013 roster.
The 6-foot-8 post player was the team’s No. 2 pick in 2011.
“I am really looking forward to returning to Tulsa and the WNBA this season,” Cambage said.
That return also marks a reversal of direction.
Cambage averaged 11.5 ppg and 4.7 rpg in her rookie season. She missed the first part of the 2012 campaign due to her commitment to play on the Australian Olympic team.
However, after the Olympics were finished, Cambage announced that she had chosen not to return to Tulsa.
Additionally, the team announced in April that Cambage would not be returning in 2013 either, citing that she had signed a contract to play in China.
But changes have come about somewhere and Shock coach Gary Kloppenburg said that he is excited about the opportunity to coach Cambage.
“We’re absolutely elated that Liz has decided to return to the Tulsa Shock this season and play in the WNBA,” Head Coach Gary Kloppenburg said. “She’ll be a great addition to what is shaping up to be a quality young team.”
In the 2012 off-season, Cambage played in China for Zhejiang where she averaged 36.2 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game. She had an amazing 59 points on January 1, 2013, going 22 of 24 from the field and hitting 15 of 16 free throws in a 115-101 victory over Shenyang.
The Tulsa roster now stands at 15 players less than a week before the deadline to have that number at 11.