Photo: Chris93 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Maria Stepanova

マリア・ステパノワ　/　まりあ・すてぱのわ

Basketball player from Russia

February 23, 1979 (age 47)　・　Mikhaylovsk, Russia

basketball player

My Take

Maria Stepanova is an athlete I respect on raw scale and on smarts. Standing 202 cm, she was among the very tallest in the women's game, yet height alone never carries a player to the WNBA, where she suited up for the Phoenix Mercury. Crossing from Russia to compete at North America's top level signals serious skill and adaptability, and her Order of Merit for the Fatherland tells me how much she meant back home. What interests me most is the craft beneath the size: the footwork and timing that let a giant truly dominate rather than merely loom. I wish I had seen her command a court in person.

Overview

Maria Alexandrovna Stepanova (Russian: Мари́я Алекса́ндровна Степа́нова; born 23 February 1979) is a Russian professional and Olympic basketball player. In the United States, she played for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). At a height of 203 cm, she has been the sixth-tallest player in the league (along with Zheng Haixia and Lindsay Taylor).

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Profile

Name (English): Maria Stepanova
Name (Japanese): マリア・ステパノワ
Reading: まりあ・すてぱのわ
Born: February 23, 1979 (age 47)
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac: Pisces / Goat
Origin: Mikhaylovsk, Russia
Blood type: Private
Height: 202 cm
Agency: Private
Occupation: basketball player

2. Background

Elementary school: Private
Junior high: Private
High school: Private
University: Private

Awards & achievements

Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 1st class

3. Relationships

Spouse: Private
Children: Private
Parents: Private
Siblings: Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

6. Links

Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%91%E3%83%8E%E3%83%AF

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