Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Holdsclaw retires from WNBA abruptly
For the second time, Chamique Holdsclaw is leaving her team hanging in the middle of the season, opting to call it a career after just eight years of playing in the WNBA.
According to sources, Holdsclaw had indicated prior to the start of the season that she was considering retiring, but later told ESPN.com's Matt Wurtz that she was looking forward to playing the upcoming season. Which makes it a little more disappointing for Sparks fans, especially with Lisa Leslie sitting out the season with a pregnancy.
As a Sparks fan, I'm taking this a bit more personal because I was hoping that with Leslie gone, Holdsclaw would take the opportunity to prove to everyone that she was still the elite player that everyone thought she would be when she was drafted first in the '99 draft. But in five games played for the Sparks this season, she averaged 15.8 points to the lead the team, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists, not bad for any player, but well below the average for a player of her caliber.
On the other hand, Holdsclaw's career has been plagued with a lot of off-court problems that contributed to her previous departure from the game and may have also caused her to retire without ever winning a WNBA title. She lost a grandmother in 2002, grandfather in 2004 and has shared her past battles with depression. In the past year, it was revealed that both her father and step-father were battling cancer, forcing her to miss the early part of last season. So if any or all of these incidents have contributed to her present decision then it is understandable that she may want to walk out on the game.
However, I agree with ESPN contributor Mechelle Voepel in saying that she has robbed her fans of seeing a great player's career unfold, culminating in a hall-of-fame entry. This brings to mind another female player, tennis star Kim Clijsters, who was one of the sport's brightest stars, but has chosen to work away from the game after this season (she has opted out of virtually every tournament this year, robbing fans of awarding her a proper farewell tour) with a barely explained reason of avoiding more injuries and starting a family.
But whatever the reason may be, Holdsclaw has stepped away from the game that made her a recognizable star, without a promise or hint of a comeback, but more importantly, without giving her supportive fans a reason why for closure. And that is disappointing.
Here are Holdsclaw's most memorable accolades:
First overall pick, 1999 WNBA draft
1999 WNBA rookie of the year
six-time WNBA all-star
2000 Olympic Gold medalist
2002 WNBA scoring champion
2002-03 WNBA rebounding champion
Honorable mention, WNBA All-Decade team
3,975 career WNBA points
1,862 career WNBA rebounds
Three-time NCAA champion (with the Tennessee Lady Vols).
According to sources, Holdsclaw had indicated prior to the start of the season that she was considering retiring, but later told ESPN.com's Matt Wurtz that she was looking forward to playing the upcoming season. Which makes it a little more disappointing for Sparks fans, especially with Lisa Leslie sitting out the season with a pregnancy.
As a Sparks fan, I'm taking this a bit more personal because I was hoping that with Leslie gone, Holdsclaw would take the opportunity to prove to everyone that she was still the elite player that everyone thought she would be when she was drafted first in the '99 draft. But in five games played for the Sparks this season, she averaged 15.8 points to the lead the team, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists, not bad for any player, but well below the average for a player of her caliber.
On the other hand, Holdsclaw's career has been plagued with a lot of off-court problems that contributed to her previous departure from the game and may have also caused her to retire without ever winning a WNBA title. She lost a grandmother in 2002, grandfather in 2004 and has shared her past battles with depression. In the past year, it was revealed that both her father and step-father were battling cancer, forcing her to miss the early part of last season. So if any or all of these incidents have contributed to her present decision then it is understandable that she may want to walk out on the game.
However, I agree with ESPN contributor Mechelle Voepel in saying that she has robbed her fans of seeing a great player's career unfold, culminating in a hall-of-fame entry. This brings to mind another female player, tennis star Kim Clijsters, who was one of the sport's brightest stars, but has chosen to work away from the game after this season (she has opted out of virtually every tournament this year, robbing fans of awarding her a proper farewell tour) with a barely explained reason of avoiding more injuries and starting a family.
But whatever the reason may be, Holdsclaw has stepped away from the game that made her a recognizable star, without a promise or hint of a comeback, but more importantly, without giving her supportive fans a reason why for closure. And that is disappointing.
Here are Holdsclaw's most memorable accolades:
First overall pick, 1999 WNBA draft
1999 WNBA rookie of the year
six-time WNBA all-star
2000 Olympic Gold medalist
2002 WNBA scoring champion
2002-03 WNBA rebounding champion
Honorable mention, WNBA All-Decade team
3,975 career WNBA points
1,862 career WNBA rebounds
Three-time NCAA champion (with the Tennessee Lady Vols).
