Heidi Burge Horton

Heidi Burge Horton was an American basketball player best known for the towering, record setting twin act she shared with her sister Heather at the University of Virginia, and for the brief but trailblazing run she had as one of the original players in the WNBA. Born Heidi Ann Burge, she stood six feet five inches tall, and together with her identical twin she was recognized by Guinness World Records as one of the world's tallest pairs of female twins. The sisters grew up in Southern California and starred at Palos Verdes High School before taking their game to Virginia.

At Virginia, Heidi and Heather Burge became one of the most recognizable sibling duos in women's college basketball. Playing together from 1989 to 1993, they helped lead the Cavaliers to three ACC tournament titles and three consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances, in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Their story of two identical twins dominating the paint together later inspired the 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie Double Teamed, which introduced their basketball journey to a new generation of viewers who never saw them play.

After college, Horton played professionally overseas for several years before returning to the United States to join the fledgling WNBA. She was selected by the Washington Mystics as the second overall pick in the league's 1998 expansion draft, having already played for the Los Angeles Sparks in the league's inaugural 1997 season. Her playing career was cut short by a back injury, and she retired from professional basketball in 2000.

Horton settled in the Houston area, where she built a second career away from the spotlight. She worked as a physical therapist specializing in back injuries, and she founded and ran Hoops School, a youth basketball program in west Houston where she served as president and head coach, teaching children not just skills but character and sportsmanship. She turned down a full time broadcasting job with the Houston Comets so she could raise her family, and she remained a fixture of the local youth basketball community for years afterward.

Horton was diagnosed with grade four glioblastoma, an aggressive and fast growing brain tumor, in October 2025. She underwent radiation and chemotherapy and her cancer went into remission, but it returned in July 2026, and she entered palliative care in September 2026. She died on October 5, 2026, at her home in the Houston area, at the age of 54. Her death was first reported publicly by longtime University of Virginia sports journalist Jerry Ratcliffe and confirmed through an obituary notice posted by Eickenhorst Funeral Services in Conroe, Texas. The University of Virginia women's basketball program said it was deeply saddened by her passing, calling her a cherished member of the Virginia family whose legacy would forever be part of Virginia Athletics, and tributes poured in from former teammates, coaches and fans who remembered her as one of the most popular players in program history.