In 2025, Meesseman won gold at the European Championship in a memorable final against Spain, and her disability has never been a problem in an incredible career that also included the WNBA. After being teased as a child, she now openly embraces her hearing aids.
Emma Meesseman, one of the best players in the world, overcame a 60% hearing loss to build a career full of titles, including the recent Euroleague victory with Fenerbahçe. The Belgian basketball player uses hearing aids, but has even broken scoring records in games where she forgot to charge them.
For any athlete, not being able to hear the referee’s whistle, the coach’s instructions, or the voices of teammates would be a significant obstacle. However, for Emma Meesseman, born in Ypres, Belgium, on May 13, 1993, this is a reality that has never prevented her from achieving perfection on the court. Despite relying on hearing aids, sometimes simply forgetting to charge them has forced her to play without them, which hasn’t stopped her.
Recently, Meesseman was a star player in Fenerbahce’s Euroleague 2026 victory, defeating Galatasaray 68-55. In the final, the Belgian player was decisive, contributing 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, earning her the MVP award. This was the third European title for the team coached by Miguel Méndez and the seventh Euroleague trophy for the athlete.
Meesseman’s record is, in fact, stratospheric. Daughter of Sonja Tankrey, also a former basketball player, her physical presence, at 1.93 m and 87 kg, is imposing on the court. In 2017, she led the Belgian national team to a bronze medal at the Eurobasket, and in 2015 she won gold in a memorable final against Spain (67-65), after recovering from a 12-point deficit with three minutes remaining.
Her impressive list of achievements also includes a WNBA title, 11 national championships between Turkey, Russia, and Belgium, and 19 cups and super cups. Individually, she was named MVP of the WNBA Finals in 2019, three-time Euroleague MVP, and two-time Eurobasket MVP, solidifying her status as one of the best in the world, despite her condition.
Meesseman’s journey hasn’t always been easy. During her childhood, she was the target of ridicule from classmates, but she learned to ignore it. She overcame the shame of wearing hearing aids in adolescence and began her professional career in 2012 with ESB Villeneuve-d’Ascq.
