In Chamique Holdsclaw’s soon-to-be-published autobiography, the WNBA star discusses the struggles she’s had in managing a sports career alongside mental illness.

As The New York Times reports, Holdsclaw had made a name for herself on high school and college teams before joining the WNBA in 1999. But little did her teammates or the rest of the world know that she had been suffering from depression since childhood.

“I didn’t want people to know I suffered from depression,” Holdsclaw told The Times. “I was supposed to be this strong athlete, and I didn’t want to seem weak in anyone’s eyes.”

But now, not only is she tackling her demons in her autobiography, The Times reports that this week Holdsclaw will become an ambassador for Active Minds, a mental health advocacy group that operates on college campuses.

“Basketball has given me a voice,” she said to The Times. “That may really be my talent.”

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A recently published study revealed that young blacks with higher levels of education are significantly less likely to seek mental health services.

Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.

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