Uljana Semjonova

Uljana was a great basketball player. She played for a team called TTT Riga. She won many championships with them. She also won two gold medals in the big Olympic games.

Uljana was a star in her sport. She had very large feet. They were the biggest feet in women's basketball.

She played many games for her country. She scored many points. She was very good at her job.

Later, she helped retired players. She led a group to give them money. She was a very kind leader.

Many groups gave her awards for her skill. She is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. She was a true legend of the game.

Uljana Semjonova was a famous basketball player. She was born in 1952. She came from the Old Believer group. Uljana was a star in the 1970s and 1980s. She played for a team called TTT Riga. She won 15 championships with that team.

Uljana was very strong on the court. She won two gold medals at the Olympics. She played for the Soviet Union. She never lost an official game in international play. She scored 1614 points in 100 games.

Uljana was also known for her large feet. Her shoe size was a men's size 21. This was the largest feet in women's basketball.

Later, she helped other athletes. She led a fund to help retired players. She faced many health problems in her later years. She had surgery for her heart. She also had her leg removed in 2022. Uljana died in 2026 at age 73. Many groups honored her. She is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. She won a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Uljana Semjonova was a famous basketball player. She was a star in the 1970s and 1980s. People saw her as a leader on the court. She played for the Soviet Union. She was also part of the Old Believer group. Her skill made her a top player in the world.

Uljana played for a team called TTT Riga. This team was part of the Daugava Voluntary Sports Society. She won 15 championships with TTT Riga. She also won the European Champion's Cup 15 times. In international games, she was very strong. She won two Olympic Gold medals in 1976 and 1980. She never lost an official international game.

Uljana was known for having very large feet. She wore a men's size 21 shoe. This was the largest size ever in women's basketball. Between 1968 and 1985, she played 100 games for her country. She scored 1,614 points during those games. She also made 162 out of 249 free throws. She had 174 personal fouls in those 100 games.

After her sports career, Uljana helped other people. From 1991 to 2023, she led a special group. This was the Latvian Olympic Social Fund. The fund helped retired athletes with money. Later in life, she had many health problems. She had heart surgery in 2017. In 2022, doctors had to remove her leg. She died on January 8, 2026, at age 73.

Many big groups honored Uljana for her work. In 1976, she got the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. She was the first woman from outside the US in the Basketball Hall of Fame. This happened in 1993. She joined the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. She also joined the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. In that same year, she won a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Uljana Semjonova was a legendary figure in women's basketball. She was a dominant player during the 1970s and 1980s. Born on March 9, 1952, she was of Old Believer descent. She competed internationally for the Soviet Union. Semjonova was widely considered the leading female player in the world during her era. Her presence on the court was powerful and highly influential.

Semjonova's physical presence was quite unique in the sport. She was known for having the largest feet ever recorded in women's basketball. She wore a men's size 21 shoe in the United States. In the European sizing system, this was a size 58. This physical trait was a notable part of her identity as an athlete.

Most of her professional career was spent playing for TTT Riga. This club was a part of the Daugava Voluntary Sports Society. Her success with this team was truly massive. She won 15 championships within the Soviet Union. Additionally, she won the European Champion's Cup 15 times. Her ability to lead her team to victory was a constant factor in these wins.

Semjonova also achieved incredible success in international competitions. She represented the Soviet Union in the Olympic Games. She won two Olympic Gold medals during the 1976 and 1980 Games. Remarkably, she never lost a single game in official international competition. Between 1968 and 1985, she played 100 games for the Soviet Union. During these 100 games, she scored a total of 1,614 points. She also made 162 of her 249 free throw attempts. In these same games, she committed 174 personal fouls.

After retiring from basketball, Semjonova dedicated herself to helping others. From 1991 until 2023, she served as the head of the Latvian Olympic Social Fund. The purpose of this fund was to provide financial help to retired athletes. This role allowed her to support the sporting community she had once led. It showed her continued commitment to the world of athletics.

In her later years, Semjonova faced several serious medical challenges. She experienced numerous medical complications throughout this period. In 2017, she underwent cardiac surgery, which is surgery on the heart. She was also hospitalized following a fall. In 2022, she underwent a leg amputation. Because of these health issues, she was placed under class-2 disability status. Semjonova passed away on January 8, 2026, at the age of 73.

Her many achievements earned her several prestigious honors. In 1976, she received the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. In 1993, she made history by becoming the first woman from outside the United States to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. She was also an inaugural member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2007, she was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. That same year, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Latvian sports personality of the year ceremony.

Semjonova's life connects the worlds of elite sport and social service. She moved from being a dominant force on the basketball court to a protector of athlete welfare. Her career spanned major political eras and significant changes in international sports. She remains a symbol of excellence in the history of women's basketball. Her legacy is preserved through the many halls of fame that recognize her skill.