University of Tennessee Athletics
Holdsclaw's #23 Jersey to be Retired
January 31, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Ceremony Will Occur at Halftime of Lady Vols' Game Against Connecticut
(Jan. 31, 2001) -- Lady Vol basketball head coach Pat Summitt announced that the number 23 jersey worn by all-time great Chamique Holdsclaw will be retired on Thursday night, February 1, when Tennessee hosts defending national champion Connecticut. The ceremony at Thompson-Boling Arena will take place at halftime of the nationally-televised battle on ESPN between the Lady Vols and Huskies.
"No single Lady Vol, in the rich history of our program, has made a greater impact of leading the Tennessee Lady Vols to national championships or recorded statistically at the level of Chamique Holdsclaw," said Summitt. "She truly helped make history for our program with her individual talents and intense commitment to the success of our team. Retiring #23 is a well-deserved honor for Chamique."
Tennessee has retired three other uniform numbers in its history - the number 22 worn by current UT assistant coach Holly Warlick (1976-1980), the number 30 worn by Bridgette Gordon (1985-89) and the number 32 worn by Daedra Charles (1988-91). The last time Tennessee celebrated a retirement ceremony was on Dec. 28, 1991, when Charles came to Knoxville to surprise Summitt by announcing the endowment of the Pat Head Summitt Scholarship, presented by Charles, Gordon and another former Lady Vol, Lisa McGill Reagan. Summitt, who was unaware of the endowment, had planned the retirement ceremony as a surprise for Charles.
Chamique Holdsclaw's Accolades
As a Professional
- Member of 2000 U.S. Olympic Team - gold medalist
- Naismith Player of the Century
- WNBA 1999 Rookie of the Year
- Two-time WNBA All-Star (1999, 2000)
1998-99 (as a Senior)
- Top pick of the 1999 WNBA draft - Washington Mystics
- Winner of the AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award
- SEC Female Athlete of the Year
- Naismith Player of the Year
- Associated Press (AP) Player of the Year
- Rawlings/WBCA Player of the Year
- The Sporting News Player of the Year
- Sports Illustrated Player of the Year
- U.S. BB Writers Assoc. (USBWA) Player of the Year
- Women's Basketball Journal Player of the Year
- Frontier/State Farm Player of the Year
- Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club Player of the Year
- NCAA East Regional All-Tournament
- Kodak Silver Anniversary Team
- Kodak All-American (only fourth player to be named a four-time recipient)
- AP First-Team All-American
- Naismith First-Team All-American
- The Sporting News First-Team All-American
- USBWA First-Team All-American
- AP SEC Player of the Year/First-Team All-SEC
- Coaches' SEC Player of the Year/First-Team All-SEC
- SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player/All-Tournament
- Honda Award Finalist
- ESPN/Nike Player of the Game (3 times)
- Two-time SEC Player of the Week
- ESPY Awards ( Female Athlete of the Year and the Women's BB Player of the Year)
- AP Female Athlete of the Year
- All-time leading scorer in SEC and Tennessee history
- All-time leading rebounder in Tennessee history
1997-98 (as a Junior)
- Honda-Broderick Cup
- Victor Award (Benefiting the City of Hope)
- SEC Female Athlete of the Year
- Naismith Player of the Year
- Associated Press (AP) Player of the Year
- Rawlings/WBCA Player of the Year
- The Sporting News Player of the Year
- U.S. BB Writers Assoc. (USBWA) Player of the Year
- Women's Basketball Journal Player of the Year
- Frontier/State Farm Player of the Year
- Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club Player of the Year
- Final Four Most Outstanding Player/All-Tournament
- Mideast Regional Most Outstanding Player/All-Tourn.
- Kodak All-American
- AP First-Team All-American
- Naismith First-Team All-American
- The Sporting News First-Team All-American
- USBWA First-Team All-American
- AP SEC Player of the Year/First-Team All-SEC
- Coaches' SEC Player of the Year/First-Team All-SEC
- SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player/All-Tournament
- Big Apple Classic Most Valuable Player/All-Tournament
- Northern Lights Inv. Most Valuable Player/All-Tourn.
- ESPN/Nike Player of the Game (4 times)
- SEC Player of the Week (12/1 & 1/5)
- ESPY Award ('96-'97 Women's BB Player of the Year)
- AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award Finalist
- USA Basketball Player of the Year
- Only Collegian on USA World Championship Team
- Fourth-place finisher - AP Female Athlete of the Year
- USA TODAY "Shining Star In Basketball" for 1997
- Unanimous Preseason All-America Selection
- Unanimous Preseason SEC Player of the Year
1996-97 (as a Sophomore)
- Honda Award For Basketball
- Final Four Most Outstanding Player/All-Tournament
- Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player/All-Tourn.
- Women's Sport Player of the Year (Sports Illustrated)
- Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club Player of the Year
- Naismith Player of the Year Finalist
- ESPY Women's BB Player of the Year Finalist
- Kodak All-American
- AP First-Team All-American
- Naismith First-Team All-American
- The Sporting News First-Team All-American
- USBWA First-Team All-American
- Women's BB News Service First-Team All-American
- Unanimous First-Team All-SEC
- All-SEC Tournament Team
- ESPN/Nike Player of the Game (4 times)
- Women's NIT All-Tournament Team
- Howard Bank Classic Most Valuable Player/All-Tournament
1995-96 (as a Freshman)
- Final Four All-Tournament Team
- East Regional All-Tournament Team
- Kodak All-American
- AP Third-Team All-American
- United Press International Third-Team All-American
- College Sports Magazine Second-Team All-American
- USBWA All-American
- USBWA Rookie of the Year
- First-Team All-SEC
- SEC Freshman of the Year/All-SEC Freshman Team
- All-SEC Tournament Team
- SEC Player of the Week (3 times)
- Kona Classic Most Valuable Player/All-Tournament
- ESPN Pizza Hut National Player of the Week (1/15)
- CBS Chevrolet Player of the Game (1/6)
