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Height reigns supreme in the game of basketball, and the WNBA is no exception. The league has embraced an assortment of mounts in the years since its inception, many of whom have emerged as some of the sport's greatest talents.
Brittney Griner, Sylvia Fowles and Lauren Jackson are some of the most notable titans to have graced the WNBA hardwood. What binds them all together? Their towering frames, a trait which, when coupled with splendid footwork and impressive two-way talents, made them into all-time greats.
So, who sits alongside them on the list of the WNBA's tallest players ever? Here's what you need to know.
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Who is the tallest WNBA player ever?
The tallest WNBA player ever is Margo Dydek. The former Starzz/Silver Stars, Sun and Sparks center towered over opposing players, standing at 7-foot-2. A Warsaw, Poland native, Dydek played 11 seasons in the WNBA. She was a two-time All-Star, eight-time blocks leader and holds the record for most blocks in league history (877).
The Starzz made Dydek their first overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft. She spent seven seasons with the organization — five in Utah and two in San Antonio after the team relocated and rebranded in 2003.
Dydek's height made her an instant hit among WNBA audiences. According to The New York Times, scouts initially weren't too intrigued in her services ahead of a predraft camp. A clerical error had her height listed at 6-foot-6 in their scouting reports. When she walked through the door, the mood changed markedly.
She enjoyed a glistening career in Europe, starring for Olimpia Poznan (Poland), Valenciennes Orchies (France) and Fota Porta Gdynia (Poland). Under her stewardship, Fota Pola Gdynia captured the 2000 Polish League title. Dydek was named Finals MVP that season. She also picked up La Gazzetta dello Sport's European Female Basketball Player of the Year award in 1999.
“Margo was a great teammate and one of the kindest people you could ever meet," Hall of Famer Lindsay Whalen said, per Slam. "The position she played on the court really fit who was she was off the court and in life as well. She always had everyone’s back. She was there to block shots and make you look good if you got beat off the dribble. She was always there for you if you needed her at any time day or night."
Dydek led Poland to a 1999 EuroBasket Womens title in her home country. She retired following the 2008 season.
Dydek tragically died on May 27, 2011 after collapsing due to cardiac arrest while pregnant with her third child eight days prior. She was 37 years old.
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Tallest players in WNBA history
Here's a look at the tallest players in WNBA history.
| Rank | Player | Height | Drafted by | Country |
| 1 | Margo Dydek | 7-2 | Utah Starzz | Poland |
| 2 | Han Xu | 6-11 | New York Liberty | China |
| 3 | Bernadett Hatar | 6-10 | Undrafted | Hungary |
| 4 | Brittney Griner | 6-9 | Phoenix Mercury | United States |
| T-5 | Liz Cambage | 6-8 | Tulsa Shock | Australia |
| T-5 | Katie Mattera | 6-8 | Connecticut Sun | United States |
| T-5 | Maria Stepanova | 6-8 | Phoenix Mercury | Russia |
| T-5 | Razija Brcaninovic | 6-8 | Detroit Shock | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| T-5 | Olga Firsova | 6-8 | New York Liberty | Ukraine |
| T-5 | Haixia Zheng | 6-8 | Los Angeles Sparks | China |
| T-5 | Lindsay Taylor | 6-8 | Houston Comets | United States |
| T-12 | Alison Bales | 6-7 | Indiana Fever | United States |
| T-12 | Kalani Brown | 6-7 | Los Angeles Sparks | United States |
| T-12 | Li Yueru | 6-7 | Atlanta Dream | China |
| T-12 | Kara Wolters | 6-7 | Indiana Fever | United States |
| T-12 | Zane Tamane | 6-7 | Detroit Shock | Latvia |
| T-12 | Imani McGee-Stafford | 6-7 | Chicago Sky | United States |
| T-12 | Teaira McCowan | 6-7 | Indiana Fever | United States |
| T-12 | Jennifer Hamson | 6-7 | Los Angeles Sparks | United States |
| T-12 | Gillian Goring | 6-7 | Washington Mystics | Trinidad and Tobago |
| T-12 | Kamilla Cardoso | 6-7 | Chicago Sky | Brazil |
| T-22 | Kara Braxton | 6-6 | Detroit Shock | United States |
| T-22 | Waltiea Rolle | 6-6 | Minnesota Lynx | Bahamas |
| T-22 | Mercedes Russell | 6-6 | New York Liberty | United States |
| T-22 | Rankica Sarenac | 6-6 | Undrafted | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| T-22 | Stephanie Soares | 6-6 | Washington Mystics | Brazil |
| T-22 | Azura Stevens | 6-6 | Dallas Wings | United States |
| T-22 | Carolyn Swords | 6-6 | Chicago Sky | United States |
| T-22 | Michele Van Gorp | 6-6 | New York Liberty | United States |
| T-22 | Oksana Zakaluzhnaya | 6-6 | Undrafted | Russia |
| T-22 | Chantelle Anderson | 6-6 | Sacramento Monarchs | United States |
| T-22 | Kara Braxton | 6-6 | Detroit Shock | United States |
| T-22 | Kelley Cain | 6-6 | New York Liberty | United States |
| T-22 | Maimouna Diarra | 6-6 | Undrafted | Senegal |
| T-22 | Summer Erb | 6-6 | Charlotte Sting | United States |
| T-22 | Sylvia Fowles | 6-6 | Chicago Sky | United States |
| T-22 | Ruth Hamblin | 6-6 | Dallas Wings | Canada |
| T-22 | Lauren Jackson | 6-6 | Seattle Storm | Australia |
| T-22 | Jonquel Jones | 6-6 | Connecticut Sun | Bahamas |
| T-22 | Awak Kuier | 6-6 | Dallas Wings | Egypt |
| T-22 | Dominique Malonga | 6-6 | Seattle Storm | France |
| T-22 | Ta'Shia Phillips | 6-6 | Atlanta Dream | United States |
| T-22 | Angel Robinson | 6-6 | Los Angeles Sparks | United States |
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Who is the tallest WNBA player currently?
The tallest active player in the WNBA is Dream center Brittney Griner at 6-foot-9. A nine-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Griner is one of the league's greatest-ever talents. She was selected No. 1 overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft after a gleaming career at Baylor that saw her win two Naismith Player of the Year awards.
Griner has been as good as advertised since entering the professional ranks. She can expect to receive a plaque in Springfield, Mass. once her career ends.
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Can WNBA players dunk?
WNBA players can, indeed, dunk, although there have been a limited number of players to have jammed in-game. Just eight players have thrown down under the bright lights of a WNBA contest, starting with Lisa Leslie, the Sparks star who rocked the rim during a 2002 matchup against the Sol.
Griner leads the way in terms of WNBA dunks, having slammed a whopping 26 over the course of her professional career. Her most recent came in the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game, a one-handed flush on the fast break.
Here's a look at the eight players to have taken flight:
- Lisa Leslie
- Candace Parker
- Michelle Snow
- Sylvia Fowles
- Brittney Griner
- Liz Cambage
- Jonquel Jones
- Awak Kuier
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