Chamique Holdsclaw

Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw (born August 9, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She announced her retirement from the Los Angeles Sparks on June 11, 2007, though she eventually came out of retirement to play with the Atlanta Dream for the 2009 WNBA season.

Holdsclaw was inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026.

Early life Holdsclaw was raised in Astoria Houses in Astoria, Queens.

She grew up playing basketball. While attending Christ the King Regional High School in Queens, New York, she played for the school's women's basketball team, and led them to four straight New York State Championships in basketball. Holdsclaw was named a High School All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). After this selection, Holdsclaw gained the distinction of being the first female athlete to appear on the cover of SLAM magazine. Furthermore, Holdsclaw was pictured in a New York Knicks jersey, implying that perhaps she was good enough to play in the NBA.

In her first season, she was named the Rookie of the Year, the first number one draft pick to win that honor. She was also a starter in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game that same year. She averaged 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in her first season. The next year, Holdsclaw was named to the Olympic team, helping to lead them to a gold medal.

During her subsequent seasons in the WNBA, Holdsclaw continued to improve her numbers. In 2002, despite missing several games with an ankle injury, Holdsclaw averaged a double-double per game with 19.9 points and 11.5 rebounds. By 2003, she was averaging 20.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. On July 24, 2004, however, she failed to show up for a game against Charlotte, played one more game in reserve and then did not play the rest of the season including the entire playoffs.

On March 21, 2005, Holdsclaw was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for DeLisha Milton-Jones.

In May 2006, Holdsclaw took a sudden two-week leave from playing for the Sparks, but later clarified that this was due to the serious illnesses of her father and stepfather. As of late June, she was averaging 14.4 points per game and 7 rebounds per game.

On June 11, 2007, only a few weeks into the 2007 WNBA season, she surprisingly announced she was retiring and did not immediately provide any explanation as to her sudden departure.

USA Basketball Holdsclaw was a member of the National team who traveled to Berlin, Germany in July and August 1998 for the FIBA World Championships. The USA team won a close opening game against Japan 95–89, then won their next six games easily. In the quarterfinals, Holdsclaw scored 20 points to help team advance. After trailing late in the final game, the USA held on to win the gold medal 71–65. Holdsclaw averaged 10.9 points per game, third highest on the team. 1998—WBCA Player of the Year 1998—The Honda-Broderick Cup winner for all sports

Personal life Holdsclaw wrote in her autobiography Breaking Through: Beating the Odds Shot after Shot (2012, ) that she had suffered depression during her professional basketball career, and attempted suicide on one occasion.

Atlanta police issued an arrest warrant for Holdsclaw on November 15, 2012, after Holdsclaw allegedly attacked her ex-girlfriend's car with a baseball bat and shot at the car. The owner of the car, fellow WNBA player Jennifer Lacy, was uninjured. It was announced on February 27, 2013, that Holdsclaw was being indicted for the November shooting in Atlanta. It is a six-count indictment charging her with aggravated assault, criminal damage and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Holdsclaw was released from jail after posting a $100,000 bond and a court date was not set.

Holdsclaw pleaded guilty June 14, 2013, to aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and other charges. She was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service and pay a $3,000 fine under the plea agreement. Holdsclaw's attorney Ed Garland said his client "felt that to honestly accept what her actions were was best for everyone concerned".

Documentary filmmaker Rick Goldsmith produced a film on Holdsclaw's life and battle with mental illness called Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw which aired on Logo TV on May 3, 2016.

She married former basketball player Cara Wright in Tennessee on July 7, 2018.