MIES (Switzerland) - Tributes to the incredible Uljana Semjonova are flowing after it was announced that one of the sport's true greats and iconic figures had passed away at the age of 73.
A phenomenal presence due to her dominant height and size, the fact that she combined these attributes with so much skill and poise made her an unstoppable machine when stepping out for the all-conquering USSR.
Standing at 2.13m tall, the Latvian center was unguardable and amassed a staggering resume during her career, one that resulted in her being inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. She was also the first non-US woman to be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The legacy of Semjonova is arguably like no other and is unlikely to ever be repeated. Indeed, she is renowned as being the winningest player in women's basketball history.
She suited up for 18 consecutive years with USSR between 1968 and 1986, never tasting a single defeat during her near two-decades of brilliance.
Her international career was truly jaw-dropping. Shining on the global stage, Semjonova was crowned an Olympic gold medalist at the Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980 Games. She also landed three titles at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in 1971, 1975 and 1983.
On the continental level, there was breathtaking success as she won a stunning 10 FIBA Women's EuroBasket crowns in a row between 1968 and 1985.
At club level, she was just as impactful, being crowned European champion 11 times with TTT Riga, as well as winning the Liliana Ronchetti Cup and 15 USSR domestic championships.
Her appeal was wide and Semjonova was named Latvia's most popular athlete 12 times between 1970 and 1985 - also receiving the Lifetime Contribution to Sport honor in 2007 at the Latvian Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
Having also taken up a role in her homeland as Chair of the Latvian Olympian Social Foundation, Semjonova continued to serve her community and will be sorely missed but never forgotten for leaving her mark on the sport of basketball like few others.
FIBA