This story first appeared in SLAM 232.
Was the NBA ready for Chamique Holdsclaw back in 1998? Sadly, I doubt it. The sports realm was yet to be shaken up by the likes of Serena Williams and the issue of gender equality had barely been addressed generally in wider society. As for the basketball world, we were still getting used to the idea that the WNBA—still in its infancy—was here to stay.
Perfect timing then, for the In Your Face basketball magazine to challenge our ignorance by putting Holdsclaw— WNBA ready, a threepeat NCAA champ—in a Knicks uniform on SLAM’s cover. A move which—according to former SLAM editor Tony G—could’ve cost Holdsclaw her draft eligibility (since she was rocking a professional uniform) and subsequently, cost him a verbal beatdown in a heated phone call from legendary Tennessee Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt (RIP).
The cover was a risk worth taking and posed a question worth asking, but Holdsclaw’s presence represented something more. Chamique was known as a tough, physical player who had honed her game playing against the guys in Queens, NY. Having her on SLAM’s cover—the most coveted magazine cover in basketball—sent a message that was ahead of its time.
This message was that women play with passion and aggression. That female achievement would not be secondary to the achievements of men. That women had their own place in a sport that most people (allegedly) preferred to watch men compete in.
Thankfully, many female ballers have graced a SLAM cover since Chamique Holdsclaw rocked the orange and blue on issue 29. They’ve continued to represent something more powerful than basketball alone. I’d also like to hope that our perceptions of female athletes continue to be shaped by the skills of those playing the game, not the haters in the comments sections.
SLAM wasn’t suggesting an integrated league when we put out one of the illest covers of all time in October 1998. Why would we? The WNBA pioneered their own culture, their own game. I can’t lie though, the Knicks could’ve really used Chamique’s help in the ’00s…
