Maria Stepanova

Not to be confused with Maria Stepanova (poet) or Mariya Stepanova.

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Alexandrovna and the family name is Stepanova.

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).

Maria Stepanova

Personal information
Born	(1979-02-23) 23 February 1979 (age 46) Shpakovskoye, Stavropol Krai, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Russian
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	187 lb (85 kg)
Career information
WNBA draft	1998: 1st round, 8th overall pick
Drafted by	Phoenix Mercury
Position	Center
Career history
1998–2001, 2005	Phoenix Mercury
2006	KB Stars
Career highlights
WNBA blocks leader (2005) 3× FIBA Europe Women's Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2008) 3× Russian Player of the Year (2005–2007)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals Representing  Russia Women's Basketball Olympic Games 2004 Athens Team Competition 2008 Beijing Team Competition

At a height of 203 cm, she has been the sixth-tallest player in the league (along with Zheng Haixia and Lindsay Taylor). Margo Dydek, 7 ft 2 in (218 cm), Bernadett Határ, 6 ft 10.5 in (210 cm), Han Xu, 6 ft 11 in (211 cm), Brittney Griner and Liz Cambage, both 6 ft 9 in (206 cm), are taller than her. Heidi Gillingham, also 6 ft 10 in, and Allyssa DeHaan, 6 ft 9 in as well, never played in the WNBA. She wears size 15 (US) / 48 (EU) shoes. Though in the Russian national team, she has been overtaken by Ekaterina Lisina in being the tallest member.

Stepanova was born in the village of Shpakovskoye (now the town of Mikhaylovsk, in Stavropol Krai of the former Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union, and grew up in Tosno, Leningrad Oblast.

Honours and awards

• Honoured Master of Sports of Russia
• Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 1st class (2 August 2009) - for outstanding contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high achievements in sports at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008
• 3× FIBA Europe Women's Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2008)

External links

• WNBA Player Profile