TTT Riga

TTT Riga
Leagues	LSBL EuroLeague Women
Founded	1958
Arena	Arena Riga (capacity: 12,500)
Location	Riga, Latvia
Team colors	White and Orange
Head coach	Aigars Nerips
Championships	14 Latvian Championship: 1992, 1993, 1995, 2001-2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 18 EuroLeague Women: 1960–1962, 1964–75, 1977, 1981, 1982 1 Ronchetti Cup: 1987
Website	tttriga.lv
Uniforms
Home Away

TTT Rīga is the name of a professional women's basketball club based in Riga, Latvia. "TTT" means Tram and Trolley Trust. Team held its first official game on 5 November 1958. Next 25 years are known as the First Golden age of the club. Internationally club was known also as Daugava Riga, in fact Daugava was predecessor of TTT Riga in 1950s.

History

Led by famous Latvian basketball player and coach Olgerts "Bohums" Altbergs, TTT Riga conquered its first European title in 1960, winning the European Cup for Women's Champion Clubs (since 1992 known as Euroleague Women). Dzidra Uztupe-Karamiseva, Vita Silina-Luka (Karpova), Dzintra Kiepe-Baka and other outstanding players of the time bring women basketball to new levels. Seventeen more European titles were added during next 22 years – achievement unequalled until this day.

Rise of Uljana (Juliana) Semjonova, joining TTT Riga in 1965, at the age of 13, confirmed golden status of „TTT". From 1964 to 1975 TTT earned 12 consecutive European titles. In 18 seasons of international competition Uljana Semjonova never lost a game in national team competition, a record that will almost certainly never be repeated.

Late 1980s and 1990s marked decline of once famous club. Best Latvian players, with Semojonova being the first one, continued their professional careers in France, Spain and Italy. It took ten years after Latvia regained independence, while TTT re-entered Liliana Ronchetti cup in 2001. Next entry followed only five years later.

Autumn of 2006 was a turning point in history of the club. New leadership and new management launched long term work to unite best Latvian players under the famous club name, first foreign internationals – like Brazilian and WNBA star Iziane Castro Marques – came to Latvia. In the spring of 2007 TTT Riga after one year silence regained Latvian title and applied for the participation in FIBA Euroleague Women. Season of 2007–2008 will be the 50th for the club.

Players of note

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers

• Uļjana Semjonova, C, 1982–1983, Inducted 1993

Current roster

TTT Riga roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age F 4 Dita Rozenberga 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 23 – 22 December 1992 G 5 Anda Eibele 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) 31 – 30 July 1984 G 6 Laura Puriņa 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) 25 – 27 May 1990 C 7 Ieva Kūlīte 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 27 – 2 July 1988 C 8 Līga Šurkusa 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) 24 – 16 July 1991 SG 9 Kitija Laksa 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 19 – 21 May 1996 PG 10 Sydney Rene Carter 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) 25 – 18 November 1990 C 11 Rūta Veidere 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 21 – 1 June 1994 C 12 Ance Celmiņa 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 24 – 28 January 1991 G 13 Kristīne Kārkliņa 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) 32 – 30 September 1983 PG 14 Ilze Jākobsone 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) 21 – 19 April 1994 G 24 Ance Aizsila 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) 21 – 3 May 1994 G 25 Brittany Nichole Carter 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 26 – 25 March 1989 G 44 Baiba Eglīte 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) 27 – 9 January 1989	Head coach Aigars Nerips Assistant coach(es) Viktors Lācis Legend (C) Team captain Injured Roster Updated: April 29, 2014

Notable past players

• Uļjana Semjonova
• Ieva Tāre
• Iciss Tillis

Championships

• FIBA's EuroLeague Women: 18 (1960–1962, 1964–75, 1977, 1981, 1982)
• FIBA's Ronchetti Cup: 1 (1987)
• SSSR Championships: 21
• Latvian Championships: 13 (1992, 1993, 1995, 2001-2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014)

References

External links

• Official website (Latvian)