Discover the experiences of some of the biggest names in the Women’s game, revealing the influences that molded their basketball lives.
During the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026, the FIBA Foundation published Through Their Eyes: Stories of Women Who Shaped Basketball, an oral history project chronicling the evolution of women’s basketball across more than 70 years and around the world.
This project shares the lived experiences of 12 basketball legends, including various FIBA Hall of Famers, who helped build the game across generations and continents. Through their stories, the report explores how basketball has shaped identities, inspired future leaders, fostered lifelong friendships and rivalries, and evolved alongside the societies and cultures in which it is played.
Interviewees were selected by the FIBA Foundation to cover the timeline from the first FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 1953 through the present day:
Carol Callan (USA)
Jacky Chazalon (France)
Claudine Clot-Ducommun (Switzerland)
Teresa Edwards (USA)
Natalia Hejkova (Czechoslovakia/Slovakia)
Tom Maher (Australia)
Mame Maty Mbengue (Senegal)
Shin-Ja Park (Korea)
Laura Pina (Chile)
Maria Planas (Spain)
Uljana Semjonova (Latvia/USSR)
Maria “Magic Paula” Silva (Brazil)
Through this landmark publication, the FIBA Foundation reinforces its commitment to preserving basketball’s cultural heritage and ensuring that the stories of those who paved the way are not forgotten. More than a historical record, the report serves as a source of inspiration for educators, researchers, players, and future generations, highlighting the enduring power of basketball to drive social change and connect communities across borders.