Chamique Holdsclaw is the veteran former WNBA champion who ruled the court for eleven years. She started her journey in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics during the 1999 WNBA Draft and ended with Saint Antonio Silver Stars.
Holdsclaw is a six-time All-American with an Olympics gold medal, but her journey was not that simple.
She went through severe depression and even got diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She even went to jail for attacking her ex-grilfreind’s car with a baseball and shooting at it.
However, she overcame every single of these obstacles and made a comeback. She is now an author, an advocate of mental health, and a successful owner of Chamique Holdsclaw LLC.
Biography-Wiki Quick Summary
| Popular Name | Chamique Holdsclaw |
| Real Name | Chamique Holdsclaw |
| Date of birth | August 9, 1977 |
| Age | 27 years old |
| Place of birth | Astoria, New York, USA |
| Hometown | Queens, New York, USA |
| Current Residence | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Father | William Holdsclaw |
| Mother | Bonita Holdsclaw |
| Siblings | One |
| Brother | Davon Holdsclaw |
| Orientation | Lesbian |
| Pronouns | She\Her |
| Status | Married |
| Wife | Cara Wright Holdsclaw |
| Ex-partner | Jennifer Lacy |
| Children | Two |
| Son | Cairo Holdsclaw |
| Daughter | Camdyn Holdsclaw |
| Occupation | Former WNBA player, Author, Advocate, Podcast host and Businesswoman |
| Net worth | 3 Million USD |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Zodiac | Leo |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 78 kg |
| Measurement | Unknown |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Complexion | Dark |
| Instagram id | chold1 |
| Chold1 | |
| Chamique Holdsclaw |
Chamique Holdsclaw Net Worth
The former WNBA star has around 3 million USD as her net worth and is living a great life.
Holdsclaw had a great eleven years in the WNBA and earned lots of fame and fortune.
During her athletic years, she even got an offer of five years of endorsement worth 500 thousand USD from Nike.
Even after returning from the court, she has been doing great financially, hosting a podcast and running her own company Chamique Holdsclaw LLC.
Parents and Family
Holdsclaw was born in Astoria, New York, to her parents, Willam and Benita, but grew up in Queens.
The former WNBA veteran had a rough childhood grouping up.
Both her parents were alcoholics and used to quarrel a lot.
Things got even worse when her brother was born.
The two siblings had to witness all the horrible fights that their parents used to have.
On some occasions, Holdsclaw even called the police on her parents to stop the fight.
Her grandmother took the siblings to live with her when things got worse.
Her grandmother was her savior, so she loved her a lot.
She started basketball as an escape from the toxic environment of her home but fell in love with it over time.
So, even after moving with her grandmother, she continued playing on the court.
She worked hard and played well until her father went to a mental institute after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
It was the first time she became depressed, but she did not know how to process it, so she kept pouring all her energy into the court.
But, it did not last long. Hell broke loose when she lost her grandmother.
Initially, she continued being active on the court and had one of her best seasons.
However, on her late grandmother’s birthday, she could not help it and fell into a deep depression. She even thought of ending her life.
Despite all these, she never shared her pain with anyone, as there was various stigma related to mental health on the basketball court.
One of her friends noticed it and advised Holdsclaw to visit a therapist, where the FIBA World Women’s Champion was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
She took help and fought her illness with a determination to show people that one can return to their regular life even after fighting mental illness.
While Holdsclaw struggled with her mental issues, she also got arrested for hitting and shooting at her ex-girlfriend’s car.
She spent some time in jail before getting out on three years of probation, 120 hours of community service, and a 3 thousand USD fine.
After the incident, Holdsclaw turned her life around.
She took her mental health more seriously and started to advocate for mental health more strongly.
She even shared her struggles through her two books published in 2001 and 2012.
Rick Goldsmith, a two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, filmed a documentary on her titled Mind/Game: The Unique Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw.
Holdsclaw has lived an extraordinary life on and off the court and has come a long way.
Now, she has a loving wife, two adorable kids, and other great things going on for her.
Personal Life: From Turmoil to Happiness, Chamique Holdsclaw’s Love Story
Her Relationship Details with Ex-Partner Jennifer Lacy
The three-time NCAA consecutive champion was previously dating fellow WNBA player Jennifer Lacy.
This relationship ended up with Holdsclaw attacking and shooting at Lacy’s car.
Though Lacy was unharmed, Holdsclaw got charged guilty and went to jail.
Wife Cara Wright Holdsclaw and Children
After her disastrous relationship, Holdsclaw started dating the former director of Business Operations/NBA G league for LA Clippers, Cara Wright Holdsclaw.
The two crossed paths during a basketball camp in Africa but took some time before dating each other.
During the NCAA Final Four, the two had their first date at Luca Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
After the first date, they became serious about each other, and Holdsclaw popped the question in the same stadium.
The couple then tied the knot on July 6, 2018, and became parents of two adorable children, a son named Cairo and a daughter named Camdyn.
The couple has been parenting and working on their career simultaneously.
While Holdsclaw is busy as a host and a businesswoman, her wife is a Ph.D. holder and sports executive.
Her wife also founded The Qualified Black Woman podcast, where she sheds light on the women of the black community involved in sports as its host.
Education
| Education | Institution |
|---|---|
| High School | Christ the King |
| College | University of Tennessee |
| Degree | Political Science |
Holdsclaw went to Christ the King to earn her high school degree.
After completing high school, she enrolled in the University of Tennessee as her grandma always wanted her to have a college degree.
She completed her college in 1999 with a degree in political science.
While in college, she was also part of the first Intercollegiate African American sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Career
Holdsclaw started playing basketball when she was in school.
She was one of the star school athletes who led her school to win the New York Championships.
She continued basketball in college and represented the University of Tennessee throughout her collegiate career.
She ended her college as an all-time leading scorer and rebounder from her university in both men’s and women’s categories.
She is one of the only five women players who made 2000 points, 300 assists, 300 steals, and 1000 rebounds during their collegiate career.
After college, Holdsclaw got picked up by the Washington Mystics in the 1999 WNBA Draft. She played for the Mystics for six seasons before moving to other teams.
She played for three more WNBA teams before ending her eleven-year-long journey in 2010.
Though her career in the court ended, she was still active in other sectors.
The following year of her retirement, she started her own company named after herself.
She also got the offer to host the popular podcast Tremendous Upside.
Besides running her business and hosting her podcast, the former WNBA player has been the ambassador for The Jed Foundation.
