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Chamique Holdsclaw
BasketballAdvocate
United States
Chamique Holdsclaw is a former professional basketball player and mental-health advocate. She won three consecutive NCAA championships with the University of Tennessee, an Olympic gold medal in 2000, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026. [2]
Career and work
Holdsclaw starred at the University of Tennessee, where she led the Lady Vols to three consecutive NCAA championships from 1996 through 1998 and became the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She was twice named the WBCA NCAA Division I Player of the Year. [2]
She was selected first overall by the Washington Mystics in the 1999 WNBA Draft, won Rookie of the Year that season, and became a six-time WNBA All-Star. Holdsclaw also won an Olympic gold medal with the United States at the 2000 Sydney Games and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026. [2]
What has been publicly discussed
Sources and other resourcesExpand to view the sources used in this profile and resources to learn more.
Sources used for this profile
The following sources contain information that supports the claims made on this page.
ESPN“Chamique Holdsclaw back on track” Covers her bipolar II disorder diagnosis, medication, therapy and improvement after receiving appropriate treatment.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame“Chamique Holdsclaw” Official career profile.
ESPN“Holdsclaw discloses mystery illness: Depression” Reports her 2004 disclosure of depression.
View all 8 sources
The Washington Post“Chamique Holdsclaw confronts her ‘little secret’ of depression” Covers her depression and 2006 suicide attempt.
New York Lifestyles Magazine“My New York Story” First-person account of her diagnosis, crisis and advocacy.
ESPN“Chamique Holdsclaw documentary chronicles fight with mental illness” Covers her daily mental-health management routine.
The Washington Post“As an advocate for mental health issues, Chamique Holdsclaw keeps scoring” Interview about stigma, bipolar disorder and advocacy.
Sports Illustrated“Ex-WNBA star Chamique Holdsclaw opens up about mental illness” Contains the quotation used in “In their own words.”
Learn more
Recommended books and other resources about Chamique Holdsclaw and their experiences.
- Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique HoldsclawNew Day Films
Documentary about Holdsclaw’s basketball career and mental-health experiences.
- Mind/GameVimeo On Demand
Streaming version of the documentary.
- Mind/GameKovno Communications
Filmmaker background on the documentary and Holdsclaw’s advocacy.