Seasons: 1999–2007, 2009–2010
Accolades: 6x All-Star 3x All-WNBA, 1999 ROY, 1x Scoring Leader, 2x Rebounding Leader, 2026 Naismith Hall of Fame Inductee
The pride of Astoria, Queens was already the biggest star in women’s hoops when she arrived in the WNBA. Holdsclaw had won four consecutive New York State titles at Christ the King, before winning three consecutive National Championships at the University of Tennessee. She was a two-time player of the year. The first woman to get the cover of SLAM magazine. (The bold cover line: “Is the NBA Ready for Chamique Holdsclaw?”) She was so dominant, so omnipresent, that when her college coach, the legendary Pat Summitt said, “I think she’s that Jordan-type of player and person,” it didn’t sound that out of bounds. Like Mike, Holdsclaw was a charismatic, super-competitive bucket getter who refused to lose. But her WNBA career ended up more solid, than spectacular. The first overall pick of the 1999 WNBA Draft, Holdsclaw entered a bad situation in Washington. The team lost a ton and Holdsclaw struggled with mental health issues. She retired before turning 30 though she did return for two additional seasons. In the end, she wasn’t Jordan. So what. Holdsclaw averaged close to 17 and 7 in 12 seasons and in September, she’ll be inducted into the Naismith Basektball Hall of Fame. —TG
