Chamique Holdsclaw

BasketballAdvocateUnited States

BasketballAdvocate

United States

Bipolar II disorderSelf-disclosed[1]

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]

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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

Holdsclaw first publicly disclosed in 2004 that she was experiencing clinical depression. Years later, after a forensic psychologist reviewed her medical history following her 2012 legal case, she was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. She has said the diagnosis helped explain the emotional swings she had experienced for years and showed that her earlier treatment had not been addressing the full condition. [1][3]

Holdsclaw has described periods of severe depression during her professional career in which she became increasingly withdrawn from teammates, family and friends. In 2004, she left the Washington Mystics during the season and later said that everything had felt “negative” and “dark.” [3]
In 2006, while playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, Holdsclaw attempted suicide by overdosing on medication she had been taking for depression. [4]
She has also written about reaching another breaking point in 2012, after an incident in which she damaged another person’s vehicle and fired a gun into it; she later said the experience forced her to confront how seriously she needed help. [5]

Holdsclaw has said that getting the correct bipolar II disorder diagnosis led to more appropriate medication and treatment. In 2013, she said she was taking Wellbutrin and attending therapy weekly, including by phone when traveling. [1]
She has also described maintaining a structured routine that includes medication, regular exercise, healthy eating and quiet time. [6]

In 2013, Holdsclaw said that receiving the right treatment had improved her quality of life “night and day.” [1]

Holdsclaw has become a mental-health advocate, speaking publicly about her experiences and working to reduce stigma around mental illness. She has said she wants people, particularly young people, to feel able to speak openly about mental health and seek help without shame. [7][5]
Her advocacy has included speaking on college campuses and participating in Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw, a documentary about her basketball career and mental-health experiences. [5]

“A lot of people think I’m cured. No. It’s something I still live with.”
— Chamique Holdsclaw [8]

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.

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