The Jed Foundation

No one is immune from mental illness—not even a WNBA superstar.

Meet Chamique Holdsclaw, who sits in that pantheon of G.O.A.T. athletes. The number one pick of the 1999 draft, Holdsclaw has gone on to nab accolade after accolade: three NCAA championships, six All-Star honors, a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics…. She's been dubbed the female Michael Jordan and, in 2018, was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

But that's what we saw from the outside. Unbeknownst to the public, Holdsclaw was struggling with depression and bipolar disorder. In 2006, she hit her low point: She overdosed on antidepressants and came to staring at the ceiling of an ambulance tearing through the streets of Los Angeles. At the hospital, she was put on suicide watch.

"I knew I needed help before I actually sought help," says Holdsclaw, who details her experience in both an autobiography and documentary. "I was terrified of what people would think about me, but my mental health got to a place where I was terrified of not getting the help that I desperately needed."

Today, Holdsclaw is thriving as a motivational speaker and mental health advocate, traveling the country to empower a new generation. "My hope is that this movement continues," she says, "until the stigma of mental health and illness is completely eradicated."

Tell us about your mental health journey…
Looking back on my life as a young adult, even a teenager, I know now that I was experiencing mental health issues. I would also experience mood swings that became more severe as I got older. Once I received my diagnosis, I felt a sense of relief knowing that what I was experiencing had a name and that there was the possibility for recovery; I felt less alone. But I also felt fear because I didn’t know of any other athletes who were speaking out about their mental health. I was afraid I was going to be rejected based on my mental illness.

When did you recognize you needed help?
Honestly, I knew I needed help before I actually sought help. I was ashamed that I was not able to control my moods and that I felt so hopeless. I lost days from not being able to move or being so depressed I couldn’t talk. I knew I needed help, but I also felt such despair.

As an athlete, what was the most challenging part?
Owning up to the fact that my mental health was a part of who I am. I was a professional athlete and I was battling mental illness. The stigma of mental illness in our society and in my community kept me from speaking out. I was terrified of what people would think about me, but my mental health got to a place where I was terrified of not getting the help that I desperately needed.

What was it like to finally go public with your struggles?
It was difficult and uncomfortable, but I wanted to understand, live and eventually thrive while managing my mental illness, so I leaned into speaking up. I had to focus on ending the stigma so that my former teammates, other professional athletes, and the next generation would feel more empowered to get help when they needed it.