About

From WNBA courts to boardrooms, Sonia Chase is a trailblazing professional athlete and visionary nonprofit leader. With a decorated career, Chase brings a winning mindset to every arena she enters—on and off the court.

Sonia Chase is a former WNBA player, globally recognized professional athlete, and dynamic leader committed to impact and equity. As the Founder, President, and CEO of Chase Your Dreams Academy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, she leads year-round out-of-school-time (OST) programs, workshops, and youth development initiatives that serve high-need and underserved communities.

Before launching her nonprofit full-time, Sonia brought her operational and strategic expertise to Deloitte’s Marketing practice as U.S. Sponsorships Operations Manager. There, she led logistics and analytics for a sports sponsorship portfolio valued in the billions—working with elite organizations such as the WNBA, USGA, USTA, Team USA, the Olympic Games (Paris 2024, LA28), and more. Her leadership supported over 2,000 national client accounts annually, serving as the primary liaison for Deloitte’s executive team and high-value partnerships.

Sonia made history as the first woman from the University of Maryland College Park to be drafted into the WNBA, playing for the Charlotte Sting and Minnesota Lynx. Her professional basketball journey spanned nearly a decade, including seasons in Greece, Turkey, China, and the NWBL, where she was a first-round draft pick and all-star with the Birmingham Power.

A USA Basketball Olympic Festival gold medalist, Sonia Chase continues to live out her legacy—empowering the next generation to chase their dreams, just as she chased hers.

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Youth Supported

MVP Awards

Gold Medal

The Journey Outlives The Destination

Biographical Timeline

1970s–1980s

Early Life & Basketball Beginnings

Sonia Chase was born on March 9, 1976, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Theodore R. Chase, Jr. and Shirley Chase. At just five years old, her father introduced her to the game of basketball, planting the seeds of a lifelong passion. By age six, Sonia was already playing competitively against boys in the Woodmoor Elementary School After-School Program. The following year, she joined the all-boys Woodmoor Recreation League, where she held her own and gained a reputation as a fearless and skilled competitor. At age eight, she expanded her playing experience by joining the Liberty Road Girls Basketball Program at Campfield Recreation Center. From ages 8 to 17, she won numerous team championships and individual honors, including Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards in Baltimore's premier youth leagues such as the Baltimore Neighborhood Basketball League (BNBL) and Project Survival.

1987–1994

Academic Excellence & National Recognition

Sonia's talents on the court and in the classroom earned her a grant scholarship to attend McDonogh School, a prestigious college preparatory school in Owings Mills, Maryland, where she studied from seventh through twelfth grade. During her time at McDonogh, Sonia distinguished herself as a standout student-athlete. In seventh grade, she received her first college basketball recruiting letter from Brown University—followed by interest from Yale, Dartmouth, and eventually every Ivy League school. From 1990 to 1994, Sonia earned multiple honors including MVP, Coaches Award, Prep Player of the Week, Ms. Basketball, and the distinguished Rollins-Luetkemeyer Scholar award. By the time she was a junior, she had received recruiting letters from nearly every major university in the United States. In 1992, she verbally committed to the University of Maryland, College Park, and signed her official letter of intent before her senior year—solidifying her path to NCAA Division I athletics.

1994–1998

Collegiate Athletic Career

At the University of Maryland, College Park, Sonia made an immediate impact on the women’s basketball program. From 1994 to 1998, she earned MVP and Coaches Awards, became the program’s All-Time Leader in Steals, and received multiple Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) individual and team honors that still stand in the university's record books. Sonia’s leadership on and off the court earned her the role of Co-Captain of the team from 1996 to 1998. In 1995, she was selected to represent Team USA in the Olympic Festival, where she won a Gold Medal. Sonia graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature and a Certificate in Women’s Studies—marking the successful completion of an academic and athletic journey that set the stage for a professional career.

1998–2006

Professional Basketball Career

In 1998, Sonia made history as the first woman from the University of Maryland, College Park to be drafted into the WNBA. Selected 37th overall by the Charlotte Sting, she launched a professional basketball career that would span nearly a decade. She played in the WNBA for both the Charlotte Sting and the Minnesota Lynx, earning a spot in Fleer’s official WNBA Skybox card set that same year. During WNBA off-seasons, Sonia played internationally in Greece (1999–2000), Turkey (2001–2002), and China (2003), earning MVP honors in each country. In 2005, she was drafted in the first round of the National Women’s Basketball League (NWBL) by the Birmingham Power, where she served as Co-Captain and was voted as an East All-Star. That same year, she was inducted into the McDonogh School Hall of Fame and recognized as an All-Time Maryland Terp in the WNBA. Sonia also played semi-professional basketball from 2006 to 2009 in New York’s famed West 4th Street League, earning additional MVP, All-Star, and Championship titles before officially retiring from professional basketball in 2006.

2006–2015

Corporate Career & Nonprofit Leadership

After retiring from basketball, Sonia transitioned into the corporate world. In 2009, she launched: (1) Chase Your Dreams, Inc. - a premier sports consulting agency dedicated to guiding student-athletes through the college recruitment process, personal branding, and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) strategy for athletes - empowering the next generation of college athletes to thrive on and off the court. (2) Chase Your Dreams Academy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing youth with out-of-school-time programming that covers health, wellness, financial literacy and development. (3) S.L. Chase & Associates LLC, - a commercial real estate development company that uses business as a tool for economic equity and neighborhood revitalization. She became the first former WNBA player to partner with Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) to run sports and character enrichment programs for youth. From 2009 to 2015, Sonia led spring break, summer, and winter camps and year-round clinics across more than 10 community centers in Prince George’s County. In 2011, Sonia partnered with Nike/US Sports Camps and became the first former WNBA player to conduct basketball and character enrichment camps under their brand—expanding her reach to Maryland, D.C., Virginia, and North Carolina. She was recognized in 2012 as an “Emerging Leader Women Under 40” by Who’s Who in Black Washington, DC. She also served as Let’s Hoop Commissioner for the Transforming Neighborhood Initiative (TNI) and was honored in 2013 by Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker.

2015–2024

Expansion, Recognition & Government Consulting

In 2014, Chase Your Dreams Academy (CYDA) received the Community Partnership Grant and was later awarded a D.C. Promise Neighborhood Initiative (DCPNI) grant, allowing the nonprofit to serve youth across Washington, D.C.’s Ward 7 communities and Cesar Chavez Public Charter School. Sonia graduated from Leadership Prince George’s in 2015 and earned a place in Fair Chance DC’s Pathways Program for nonprofit capacity building. In 2017, she was hired into Deloitte's Experience Hire Program as a Senior Consultant. She received a Top Secret/SCI Clearance and worked on high-profile federal projects with clients including the IRS, Air Force, DCSA, and FBI—helping build out Human Resources and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) strategies. In 2022, Sonia was promoted to Manager of U.S. Sponsorships Operations at Deloitte. She led logistics and analytics for a sponsorship portfolio representing over $4.9 billion in business, including elite brands like the USGA, USTA, WNBA, NWSL, Team USA, Paris 2024 Olympics, LA28, and SoFi Stadium. From 2017 to 2024, she was recognized with multiple Deloitte Applause Awards, Incentive Program Outstanding Performer honors, and was selected as staff for the Air Force Wounded Warrior Trials.

2024–Present

Legacy & Ongoing Impact

Sonia continues to lead Chase Your Dreams Academy and expand her outreach through Nike/US Sports Camps, running character-driven sports programs for youth during spring and summer breaks across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. With nearly four decades of experience as an athlete, mentor, entrepreneur, and executive leader, Sonia Chase remains a powerful force in shaping the next generation—one dream at a time.