In the annals of Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) history, the distinction of the tallest player ever belongs to MaΕgorzata "Margo" Dydek, who stood at an extraordinary 7 feet 2 inches (218 cm). This remarkable height has remained unmatched since her retirement in 2008, making her the sole player to ever grace a WNBA court at over seven feet tall, towering a full three inches above the next tallest individual on this comprehensive list.
Methodology For Ranking The Tallest WNBA Players
The ranking of these towering athletes is meticulously based on their officially recorded heights as documented by WNBA.com and Basketball Reference. These figures have been further corroborated by reputable sources such as ESPN, the Guinness World Records database, and the FIBA Hall of Fame. In instances where minor discrepancies in height were noted across different sources (a common occurrence when dealing with extreme measurements), the most widely cited official figure was adopted. The players are presented in ascending order of height, from the fifteenth tallest to the undisputed record-holder.
A Look At The WNBA's Tallest Athletes
Key Takeaways:
- Margo Dydek holds the record as the tallest WNBA player in league history at 7'2" (218 cm). No player has come within three inches of her height since her final game in 2008.
- As of the 2026 season, the tallest active player on a WNBA roster is New York Liberty centre Han Xu, standing at 6'11" (211 cm).
- Brittney Griner, listed at 6'9" (206 cm), is recognised as the tallest American-born player in WNBA history.
- Dydek led the league in blocks an impressive nine times before Brittney Griner eventually surpassed her career record, achieving 891 WNBA blocks.
- The average height of a WNBA player is approximately 6 feet 0.65 inches (184 cm), which means Dydek stood nearly 14 inches taller than the typical player, highlighting her extraordinary stature in the league.
The 15 Tallest WNBA Players of All Time:
- Margo Dydek (7'2" / 218 cm)
Full name: MaΕgorzata Teresa Dydek-Twigg
Date of birth: 28th April 1974, Warsaw, Poland
Died: 27th May 2011 (aged 37), Brisbane, Australia
Nationality: Polish
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: Utah Starzz, San Antonio Silver Stars, Connecticut Sun, Los Angeles Sparks
Margo Dydek was the first overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft by the Utah Starzz. Over her eleven-season career, she played for four different teams and remarkably led the league in blocked shots on nine occasions. While her legendary total of 877 career blocks held the all-time record for over a decade, she now ranks second in league history behind Brittney Griner. On 24th July 2020, she was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the tallest WNBA player ever. - Han Xu (6'11" / 211 cm)
Full name: Han Xu (ι©ζ)
Date of birth: 31st October 1999, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
Age: 27 (as of November 2026)
Nationality: Chinese
Position: Centre
WNBA team: New York Liberty
Instagram: @hanxu_521
Han Xu, standing at 6'11", plays for the New York Liberty. She was the 14th overall pick by the Liberty in the 2019 WNBA Draft and, at just 19 years old, was the youngest player in her draft class. Her unique ability to stretch the floor as a three-point shooter at her height makes her a challenging matchup for opposing teams. - Bernadett HatΓ‘r (6'10" / 208 cm)
Full name: Bernadett HatΓ‘r
Nationality: Hungarian
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: Indiana Fever, Connecticut Sun
Bernadett HatΓ‘r is listed at 6'10" and holds the distinction of being the third-tallest player in WNBA history. Hailing from Hungary, HatΓ‘r spent the majority of her professional career playing overseas before joining the Indiana Fever. She featured in only seven games during an injury-shortened 2021 season, never fully having the opportunity to showcase her skills, though she remains the second-tallest woman to have played in the league after Dydek. - Brittney Griner (6'9" / 206 cm)
Full name: Brittney Yvette Griner
Date of birth: 18th October 1990, Houston, Texas, USA
Age: 36 (as of November 2026)
Nationality: American
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: Phoenix Mercury, Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun
Instagram: @brittneyyevettegriner
Brittney Griner was the first overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013. She has accumulated ten WNBA All-Star selections, two WNBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, and a WNBA championship in 2014. As the tallest American-born player in WNBA history, Brittney Griner surpassed Margo Dydek's long-standing record to become the WNBA's all-time career blocks leader, finishing with 891 career blocks. - Liz Cambage (6'9" / 206 cm)
Full name: Elizabeth Folake Cambage
Date of birth: 18th August 1991, London, England
Nationality: Australian
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: Tulsa Shock/Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks
Liz Cambage, born in London, England, stands at 2.06 metres (6'9") tall and was drafted second overall in the 2011 WNBA Draft. Cambage continues to hold the record for the most points scored in a single WNBA game, achieving 53 points against the New York Liberty in 2018. - Maria Stepanova (6'8" / 203 cm)
Full name: Maria Alexandrovna Stepanova
Date of birth: 23rd February 1979, Stavropol Krai, Russia
Nationality: Russian
Position: Centre
WNBA team: Phoenix Mercury
Standing at 6'8", Maria Stepanova was drafted eighth overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 1998. The Russian native was honoured as the FIBA Europe Women's Player of the Year three times within a four-year span. She played five seasons for Phoenix and was a formidable shot-blocker throughout her WNBA career. - Zheng Haixia (6'8" / 203 cm)
Full name: Zheng Haixia
Date of birth: 7th March 1967, Henan Province, China
Nationality: Chinese
Position: Centre
WNBA team: Los Angeles Sparks
In 1997, Zheng Haixia made history by becoming the first Asian player to compete in the WNBA. After retiring from the Chinese national team, where she earned a gold medal, she was selected as the final pick in the 1997 WNBA Elite Draft. She was later inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2021. - Lindsay Taylor (6'8" / 203 cm)
Full name: Lindsay Taylor
Date of birth: 20th May 1981, Poway, California, USA
Nationality: American
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: Houston Comets, Phoenix Mercury
Lindsay Taylor, standing at 6'8", was selected in the second round (26th pick overall) of the 2004 WNBA Draft. Taylor enjoyed a distinguished international career spanning Europe, Africa, and Asia. She comes from a naturally tall family, with her father measuring 6'11". - Olga Firsova (6'8" / 203 cm)
Full name: Olga Firsova
Date of birth: 23rd April 1976, Kyiv, Ukraine
Nationality: Ukrainian
Position: Centre
WNBA team: New York Liberty
Olga Firsova, born in Kyiv, stands 6'8" and was drafted 13th overall by the New York Liberty in the 2000 WNBA Draft. She participated in nine WNBA games, averaging just over two minutes per game, before her professional career led her to multiple international leagues. - Teaira McCowan (6'8" / 203 cm)
Full name: Teaira McCowan
Date of birth: 28th September 1996, Bryan, Texas, USA
Nationality: American
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Minnesota Lynx
Drafted third overall in 2019, McCowan quickly established herself as a consistent double-double threat for the Indiana Fever. McCowan has been one of the most productive tall players in the league, completing three seasons in Indiana and four in Dallas before moving to Minnesota. - Razija BrΔaninoviΔ (6'8" / 203 cm)
Full name: Razija MujanoviΔ (nΓ©e BrΔaninoviΔ)
Nationality: Bosnian
Position: Centre
WNBA team: Utah Starzz
BrΔaninoviΔ, a talented player from the former Yugoslavia, played only one year in the WNBA. Her full name is Razija MujanoviΔ, and she is a retired Bosnian basketball player who represented Yugoslavia until 1992 before joining the professional WNBA circuit. - Katie Feenstra-Mattera (6'7.5" / 202 cm)
Full name: Katharen Ruth Mattera (nΓ©e Feenstra)
Date of birth: 17th November 1982
Nationality: American
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: San Antonio Silver Stars, Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream
Mattera is among the tallest players in WNBA history, listed at 6'7.5". She was the tallest player in both Liberty University and Big South Conference history and was drafted by the Connecticut Sun in the 2005 WNBA Draft. She was later traded to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Margo Dydek. - Kara Wolters (6'7" / 201 cm)
Full name: Kara Wolters
Nationality: American
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: Houston Comets, Indiana Fever, Sacramento Monarchs
During her illustrious playing career, Wolters achieved an NCAA national championship (1995), a FIBA world championship (1998), a WNBA championship (1999), and an Olympic championship (2000), becoming one of only eleven women to hold all four honours. Wolters is the only WNBA champion in this height group, having won with the Houston Comets in 1999 before moving on to Indiana and Sacramento for 86 career games. - Kalani Brown (6'7" / 201 cm)
Full name: Kalani Brown
Date of birth: 21st March 1997
Nationality: American
Position: Centre
WNBA teams: Los Angeles Sparks, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings, Phoenix Mercury
Brown was selected as the 7th overall pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in the first round of the 2019 WNBA Draft. Her impressive basketball journey includes earning the title of Big 12 Player of the Year in both 2018 and 2019, and she played a crucial role in her team's NCAA Championship victory in 2019. - Kamilla Cardoso (6'7" / 201 cm)
Full name: Kamilla Cardoso
Nationality: Brazilian
Position: Centre
WNBA team: Chicago Sky
Kamilla Cardoso, standing 6'7", plays for the Chicago Sky. The Brazilian centre quickly established herself as one of the most physically dominant young bigs in the league after entering the WNBA, leveraging her size to control the paint effectively at both ends of the floor.
Frequently Asked Questions About WNBA Heights
Who is the tallest WNBA player ever?
The tallest WNBA player ever is Margo Dydek from Poland, who stood at 7'2" (218 cm). A FIBA Hall of Famer, Dydek is remembered as one of the most distinctive figures in basketball history, not solely for her achievements but also for her imposing stature.
Who is the tallest active WNBA player in 2026?
As of the 2026 season, the tallest player currently on a WNBA roster is New York Liberty centre Han Xu, measuring 6'11" (211 cm). She holds the position of the second-tallest player in WNBA history and is the closest any active player has come to matching Dydek's all-time record.
Is Brittney Griner the tallest WNBA player ever?
No. Brittney Griner, listed at 6'9" (206 cm), is the tallest American-born player in WNBA history. However, she ranks fourth overall all-time, with Margo Dydek, Han Xu, and Bernadett HatΓ‘r all having stood or currently standing taller.
How tall was Margo Dydek, and what happened to her?
Margo Dydek stood at an impressive 7'2" (218 cm) tall, making her famous as the tallest active professional female basketball player globally. Tragically, on 19th May 2011, while pregnant with her third child, Dydek collapsed at her Brisbane home due to cardiac arrest. She passed away eight days later at the age of 37.
What is the average height of a WNBA player?
Based on official data from the WNBA website, the average height of a WNBA player is 6 feet 0.65 inches (184 cm). This means Margo Dydek was nearly 14 inches taller than the typical player, highlighting her extraordinary and rare physical attributes even within elite basketball standards.