Chamique Holdsclaw, Women’s Basketball Superstar, Shares Mental Health Journey During Bryan’s Mental Illness Awareness Week

Chamique Holdsclaw, one of the most decorated athletes in women’s basketball history, shared her mental health journey with the Lincoln community in advance of Mental Illness Awareness Week, a national initiative to provide support and treatment options for mental health conditions.

Holdsclaw’s presentation, Hoops, Hope and Healing, was a story of resilience, prioritizing mental health and asking for help. Her memoir, “Breaking Through,” documents her life as a global women’s basketball star while privately battling the debilitating impacts of mental illness.

Despite her worldwide success on the court, Holdsclaw struggled with mental health. She suffered from serious bouts of depression and manic episodes, attempting to take her life by overdosing on prescription medication in 2006. Six years later, she was arrested in Atlanta and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a felony.

After the incident in Georgia, Holdsclaw was finally open to getting help. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and severe anxiety. After a long journey of learning to manage her illnesses, Holdsclaw is now dedicated to mental health and wellness activism. She travels the country sharing her experiences to inspire and help others.

“I’ve broken a lot of records and done a lot of amazing things on the basketball court. Honestly, this is the most rewarding thing,” Holdsclaw said. “I get people who may have saw me on television and saw my journey with mental health saying, ‘wow, keep doing what you’re doing, you’re inspiring’ and that means so much more to me.”

Holdsclaw grew up in Queens, New York and was a standout women’s basketball player. She was a high school All-American and won four straight state championships. A small forward, she attended the University of Tennessee and played for Hall of Fame head coach Pat Summit. Holdsclaw led the Lady Vols to three straight national championships and was hailed as the “female Michael Jordan.”

In 1999, Holdsclaw was selected as the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. She went on to be named a six-time WNBA All-Star and won an Olympic gold medal in Sydney, Australia as part of the U.S. Women’s Basketball national team. She retired a decade later and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

To learn more and access mental health resources, visit BryanHealth.org/MentalHealth.