From director Rick Goldsmith, who I had the pleasure of meeting in person at the Independent Film Week panel I moderated a month ago, comes a feature documentary (currently a work-in-progress) on former WNBA star, Olympic gold medalist and Tennessee All-American basketball player Chamique Holdsclaw – a star athlete and public personality who was treated for depression until being diagnosed with bipolar disorder after breaking the car windows and shooting into the vehicle belonging to another WNBA player and her then ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Lacy, which Holdsclaw pleaded guilty to, resulting in three years’ probation and a $3,000 fine.
Goldsmith’s upcoming documentary follows Holdsclaw, “from challenging beginnings to become the best women’s basketball player on the planet, until manic depression and near suicide derailed her brilliant career.”
The film, titled Mind Game, will also capture Holdsclaw’s recovery as she speaks out openly about the disorder that almost killed her, shedding light on mental illness and helping to open up conversation on the subject.
“It’s been like a mental prison because it was real uncharacteristic of me,” Holdsclaw told ESPN in a June 2013 interview. “It was real uncharacteristic of me and everybody judging me from every different angle.”
She now runs her own basketball academy with camps nationwide, adding, “I hate that this situation occurred… I feel like I’ve hurt my family and also the victim’s family, but it’s been a great thing in helping me move forward. Now I’m on the right medication. I’ve been able to get the right treatment, and it’s really improved my quality of life night and day.”
She now takes antidepressant medication and is in therapy once a week, all while maintaining a busy daily schedule that includes working with her foundation and traveling the country to promote awareness of mental health issues.
And even though she’s been contacted by European teams who are interested in her playing for them, she’s putting basketball on hold for now, stating, “I knew that I had to take care of myself… That’s my first priority right now, even though I love the game.”
To follow the progress of Goldsmith’s project, visit mindgamefilm.org.
A promo for the upcoming film is embedded below:
CH-Carter3 from Rick Goldsmith on Vimeo.
