Holdsclaw Comments About Possibly Coming to Atlanta

Most of you probably already know about this AJC article. If you don't, Chamique Holdsclaw speaks (or maybe e-mails) to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about playing for Atlanta.

Marynell Meadors called Holdsclaw several days ago to ask her about the prospect of playing for the Dream.

“I told her it’d be a great thing for me to play in Atlanta,” Holdsclaw said Wednesday. “The main thing now is me getting healthy. But if I’m in good health and in good spirit, I’m definitely going to step on the court with the Dream.”

There are other quotes as well.

Of course, there are issues. Holdsclaw will be 32 years old next year. She's coming off arthroscopic knee surgery. When the season starts, it will be two years since she stepped on a WNBA court.

And of course, there's the depression issue. As a depression sufferer myself, I know it's no easy thing and people who don't have it don't understand how it can completely take over your mind when you're unawares.

On the other hand, Holdsclaw probably understands a lot more about depression that she did when it hit her the first time and when she relapsed. She has her family in North Carolina. She lives in Atlanta. She has a support group here.

My question is if the players will be welcoming or understanding. Some aren't. A lot of athletes believe that depression is simply just an emotion, or a sign of incapability, that you're spirtually flawed as a human being. Athletes believe in the myth of the "self-made person" - that depression is another word for "quitting", and that through sheer willpower the body's chemistry can be changed.

Even so, Holdsclaw is such a talented player that people would be happy just to see her back on the court in any capacity. I will, and I'll be happy for deeper reasons than just the typical comeback story. For people suffering from depression, Holdsclaw is an inspiration. Her failures are our failures. Her coming back is our coming back.