Epstein files mention Vanderbilt professors, former chancellor
Vanderbilt Alpha Chi Omega chapter to close at end of semester
Vandy pin drops: The new campus craze
VUMC anesthesiologist charged with 15 counts of sexual exploitation
Best of Super Bowl 2026 commercials
IN PHOTOS: Snowpocalypse
Vanderbilt admits first members of Class of 2030 via early decision I
Top 10 love songs of all time
SCHUTZ: Why Vandy students should reject the ‘warmth of collectivism’
Students react to university’s decision to resume in-person classes
Editor’s note: This piece contains mentions of suicide and alcoholism, which may be disturbing to some readers.
Olympic Gold Medalist and 2026 finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Chamique Holdsclaw delivered the 18th annual Murray Lecture Feb. 11. The event was co-sponsored by Residential Colleges and the Bishop Johnson Black Cultural Center.
From 1995-1999, Holdsclaw played for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, helping lead the program to three consecutive NCAA championships (1996-1998), including a historic undefeated 39-0 season in 1998, while earning four All-American honors. Holdsclaw was selected first overall by the Washington Mystics in the 1999 WNBA Draft and went on to win an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2000 Sydney Games. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 and is a 2026 finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Holdsclaw opened the lecture by talking about her childhood in New York. Her parents struggled with alcoholism, and at age 10, Holdsclaw came home to find her father passed out from alcohol on the couch. With the help of a social worker, Holdsclaw and her brother then moved in with their grandmother in the Astoria Projects in Queens. Her grandmother instilled values of discipline and respect in Holdsclaw and had her spend free time at the local Boys and Girls Club and volunteering at their Lutheran church.
“My grandmother said, ‘one thing you’re going to learn is that you treat people with dignity and respect,’” Holdsclaw said. “She said everybody has a story. Some are heavy and messy, some are like green pastures and rainbows, but everybody has a story. And she said, ‘if you listen to people, you might just learn something.’”
Holdsclaw said she discovered basketball at the outdoor courts in her community. She was often the only girl playing on neighborhood courts, which helped her develop toughness. Her basketball career continued at Christ the King Regional High School, a school known for producing WNBA talent, including Sue Bird and Tina Charles. She led the school to four straight New York State championships and committed to play college basketball for renowned head coach Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee.
“For me, as a young Black woman coming from New York, I didn’t know what I was really getting into,” Holdsclaw said. “So, I get to the University of Tennessee, and I’m like, ‘where are the Asian and Hispanic people?’ And I’ll never forget, my academic advisor says, ‘over there.’ She pointed to the international student building.”
Growing up in the diverse city of New York, learning that the University of Tennessee was 98% white students shocked Holdsclaw. She struggled to find where she belonged at first, and this coupled with intense public scrutiny impacted her. Summitt encouraged Holdsclaw to work with a sports psychologist and helped her find a community on and off the court.
“You get a lot of public praise, but the scrutiny is wicked, and that really impacted me,” Holdsclaw said. “It was during a time when I was struggling to find out who I was, and I was really going to a tough place with my mental health.”
Holdsclaw spoke candidly about her struggles with mental health, describing how the pressures of professional sports and unresolved trauma eventually led to a breaking point. She shared that during her time playing professionally for the Los Angeles Sparks, she experienced the darkest moment of her life.
“I had tried to take my life — a suicide attempt. When I was in LA, you know, I was really going through a dark time,” Holdsclaw said. “Thank God, I made it through. It was like the worst night of my life, and I made it through,”
Following that experience, Holdsclaw made the decision to step away from basketball to focus on her health.
“I decided to take some time away from basketball and stepping away from the team that season. I had to do the work, I lost hope,” Holdsclaw said. “I wanted to be better. I had support, I had family.”
Holdsclaw emphasized how therapy played a critical role in her healing, stressing that finding the right therapist is essential. She credited one therapist in particular with helping her regain stability.
“Pick your therapist. Pick your partner. You date around what feels good, if there’s connection, and then you go from there,” Holdsclaw said. “The therapist who changed my life walked me through the process. She told me, ‘When we first started, you were so erratic.’ At one point she even joked, ‘I’m going to kick you out of therapy — don’t you realize how calm you are now and that your medication is working?’”
By sharing her story, Holdsclaw encouraged athletes and students alike to prioritize mental health and to view seeking help as a sign of strength rather than weakness. She challenged the idea that therapy is a lifelong crutch, framing it instead as a tool for survival.
“A lot of people think therapy is something you’re going to have to do for the rest of your life. It’s learning the skill set for survival,” Holdsclaw said. “If I’m feeling a little bit too high, I have to do X, Y and Z. I learned how to speak up about how I feel.”
Holdsclaw recounted a story from college in which she had to help out a teammate who lacked the funds to go see her sick mother, emphasizing how in the NIL era, something like this would play out differently because athletes and their families have access to more resources.
“Am I mad at NIL? No,” Holdsclaw said. “It creates opportunities for families and creates real wealth. I’m never going to be mad at someone for making money. I know how hard student athletes have to work.”
Holdsclaw also acknowledged the pressure NIL can put on athletes at a young age. She described how amateur status is essentially gone and that once money is attached to performance, the scrutiny on athletes increases.
“The kicker is now being at these schools, these kids are stressed. Some of these kids say that their family is always asking for stuff, and some have tax troubles,” Holdsclaw said. “I just hope that they have the process in play to guide them and have good people around them.”
Holdsclaw described the current moment in women’s basketball as one of heightened visibility, cultural relevance and unresolved structural challenges. While celebrating the league’s growth, she cautioned that increased attention has also intensified scrutiny and polarization, particularly in how players are framed by the media. She pointed to the public narrative surrounding Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as an example and criticized the way the rivalry has been racialized and politicized, especially online.
“There’s room for both of them. Caitlin, yes, it’s like, oh my god, she is so exciting. She broke my record [for most points in an NCAA tournament],” Holdsclaw said. “Now keyboard gangsters, they want to attack Angel Reese. I’ve seen the most vile, disgusting things. It’s sport, yeah, but people have politicized it, and this is an ugly, ugly thing.”
Currently, the WNBA and its players are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. Discussing this and league finances, Holdsclaw called for transparency and progress. While acknowledging financial realities, she emphasized that the league’s growth should benefit its players.
“Just show the numbers. Just show the numbers, and everybody will be happy,” Holdsclaw said. “Increase the salaries, create a pension. It has to be about progress. Influence is not measured just in contracts, it’s measured in courage and community impact. But, yo, pay them.”
Following Holdsclaw’s talk, attendees gathered in the Carmichael Great Room for refreshments and an opportunity to speak with her one-on-one. First-year Ophilia Anis praised Holdsclaw’s speaking and storytelling capabilities.
“She has such a calming energy about her,” Anis said. “I think she is so powerful to be willing to speak about her experience and share her story. Because of her bravery, she has helped so many people in so many different ways. I just think she’s amazing, truly.”
First-year Gabrielle Goodwin, PR chair for Murray House, said her biggest takeaway was that for people to be truly at their best, they must take care of themselves fully.
“Chamique Holdsclaw is an amazing human being and athlete and is already inspiring with her vast accomplishments,” Goodwin said. “But it wasn’t until she realized she needed help to deal with what she was facing mentally and stepped into her true passion in helping others with their mental health. Her ability to ask for help as a high-functioning individual was also a key takeaway for me and can be for anyone here at Vanderbilt because we are such high-achieving students.”
Goodwin also introduced the history of the Murray lecture and its namesake, Reverand Walter Murray, before Holdsclaw spoke. She described that experience as a privilege, especially given that the Murray family was in attendance.
“As an African American student on this campus, the opportunity to educate myself and others about someone who paved the way for me to excel at Vanderbilt inspired me,” Goodwin said. “The idea of honoring those who trailblazed for you, as well as giving people the flowers they deserve while they can smell them were the main takeaways for me regarding this moment.”
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Subscribe to Updates
Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.
Olympic Gold Medalist and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw gives 18th annual Murray Lecture – The Vanderbilt Hustler
