Athletes come in all different sizes and shapes. There is no perfect one – this isn’t Weird Science (great movie by the way).
When we think about the game of basketball, regardless of what league or level, it isn’t just about who can run the fastest or leap the highest.
It’s also about physicality, power, and resilience.
While discussions about a player’s weight, especially in women’s sports, may be a bit of a touchy subject, it’s important to recognize how players of all body types contribute to their sport in powerful ways.
In this piece, we take a respectful, lighthearted, and insightful look at some of the heaviest and most formidable players in the WNBA.
While we will divulge their measurements (which are listed publicly on WNBA.com), we will focus mainly on how their size influences their game, and what it means to their team and the league.
Much like the NBA, the WNBA is full of a diverse range of players who excel at various aspects of the game regardless of their size.
While at one point it was natural to find the bigger players making their home in the paint, the modern game now sees players of all sizes playing a role almost everywhere on the court.
Heaviest Active WNBA Players
Kalani Brown – Dallas Wings (6’7”, 245lbs)
As one of the Wings’ twin towers, the former Baylor Bear just finished her fifth WNBA season and second in Dallas.
Although she towered over many of her opponents, Brown was often seen as a “nice” player.
“I thought that she really kind of wanted to blend in instead of really using her size to be dominant,” said then Bears coach Kim Mulkey. “Even if it was just asking for the ball, I would tell her that it’s okay to raise your voice and holler, ‘Give me the ball!’”
Averaging 5.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in thirteen minutes off the bench this past season, Brown possesses a soft touch and agility for a woman her size.
Drafted seventh by the LA Sparks in 2019, Brown is the daughter of former NBA forward P.J. Brown.
Teaira McCowan – Dallas Wings (6’7”, 239lbs)
Having completed her sixth WNBA season and third with the Wings, McCowan has made a name for herself as one of the best rebounders in the league.
With her height and size, McCowan gives the Wings a defensive wall, commanding a presence in the paint.
As the Wings’ starting center, McCowan finished the 2024 season averaging 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and just short of a block per game (0.9). While she often doesn’t move far from the low block like some other centers, she’s has improved her mid-range game.
Alissa Pili – Minnesota Lynx (6’2”, 235lbs)
As a rookie for the Minnesota Lynx from the highly-touted 2024 WNBA Draft, the former Utah Utes star and Pac-12 Player of the Year struggled to see her game translate from the college level to the WNBA.
However, Pili’s awareness of the talented players in the league and the challenges that awaited her upon entering the league did not surprise her.
As she said heading into draft day, “On the court, they’ll be getting just someone that is versatile and can do a little bit of everything. Somebody who is consistent and will work hard just to earn my way up, just because I know there is a lot of experience in the league so I am just excited to learn and take in any new things to make me a better player.”
Averaging just 6.3 minutes of court time over the course of 22 games, Pili posted a stat line of 2.4 points, and 1.2 rebounds, compared to the 21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 helpers that she averaged during her final NCAA season.
Prior to entering her second season with the Lynx, Pili will take part in the unique Athletes Unlimited Pro League.
Stefanie Dolson – Washington Mystics (6’5”, 235lbs)
Completing her eleventh WNBA season, Dolson returned to the Mystics after a seven-year absence in which she played for the Chicago Sky and New York Liberty.
Drafted by the Mystics in 2014 after an award-winning career with the UConn Huskies, which included back-to-back NCAA championships, Dolson was traded to the Sky for Elena Delle Donne.
During her run with the Sky, Dolson was part of a second unit that helped Chicago win the 2021 WNBA title.
While she does have the size to battle in the paint, Dolson’s ability to step out and hit the three makes her a valuable addition to any team, hitting 40% of her shots from downtown, including 46% last season (1.8 / 4 attempts).
Aliyah Boston – Indiana Fever (6’5”, 220lbs)
Lost in the Caitlin Clark hype was another impressive season last year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year, Aliyah Boston.
Although her stats did not see much of an increase in her second season (14.2ppg, 8.9rpg, 3.2apg, 1.2bpg), Boston’s paint presence on both ends of the court was vital in the Fever’s first playoff run in seven years.
The yin to Clark’s yang, Boston’s blue-collar work ethic, setting rock-hard screens, diving for loose balls, and cleaning up the glass has earned her back-to-back All-Star appearances.
Heaviest Players in WNBA History
Zheng Haixia: 1997–1998 (6’8”, 254lbs)
For thirteen years prior to making her WNBA appearance, Zheng Haixia played a major role for the Chinese National team, winning silver and bronze medals in the 1992 and 1984 Olympic Games.
Selected by the LA Sparks with the last pick of the first and only WNBA Elite Draft (not to be confused with the regular collegiate draft), Haixia played sparingly for the Sparks during her two WNBA seasons.
When asked about the difference between the American style of basketball compared to playing in China, Haixia said: “I was the center of the action, but here I must not only play in the paint. I have to be more mobile.”
In just 34 games, Haixia averaged 8.9 points, and 4.4 rebounds before returning to China. While her time in the WNBA was brief, Haixia helped pave the way for future international players.
Katie Mattera: 2005–2009 (6’8”, 240lbs)
Not only was Mattera one of the tallest players in WNBA history, but she was also one of the heaviest.
Currently an NCAA assistant coach with the Liberty Flames, Mattera was selected by the Connecticut Sun with the eighth pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, playing well enough to earn a spot on the league’s All-Rookie Second Team, averaging 8.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks.
Unfortunately, this was Mattera’s best season as her numbers declined in each of the following four years, bouncing around from Detroit to Atlanta and finally finishing her career with the Chicago Sky.
Tiffani Johnson: 1998–2006 (6’4”, 240lbs)
Following a troubled yet successful collegiate career in which Johnson helped the Tennessee Lady Volunteers to back-to-back NCAA titles, the center went undrafted by the WNBA in 1998 and played for the San Jose Lasers of the short-lived ABA.
Although she started during her first three seasons with the Houston Comets, Johnson served mainly as a role player during her seven seasons in the league, which was bookended with stints in Sacramento and Seattle.
Tausha Mills: 2000–2007 (6’3”, 232lbs)
For some reason, Tausha Mills’ success at the collegiate level could not translate into anything more than a deep bench role during her five WNBA seasons.
During her second season with the Trinity Valley Lady Cardinals, Mills earned the Junior College Player of the Year award without starting a single game, a feat that has never happened before.
As an All-SEC player during her two seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Mills helped the team to a pair of Sweet Sixteen appearances.
Selected second overall in the 2000 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics, Mills also spent time with the San Antonio Stars and the Detroit Shock.
Kara Wolters: 1999–2002 (6’7”, 227lbs)
Her nickname “Big Girl” describes the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame center in more than just one way.
A star with the UConn Huskies from 1993 to 1997, where she earned an NCAA title and a College Player of the Year award, Wolters joined the ABL’s New England Blizzard straight out of college before being picked up by the Houston Comets in the third round of the 1999 WNBA Draft.
Despite being a standout with the Huskies and the USA National Team, Wolters struggled during her four years in the WNBA which included a title with the 1999 Comets, a Most Improved candidate season in Indiana, and two uneventful years in Sacramento.
FAQs About Size in the WNBA
Yes as it contributes to aspects of athletic performance such as strength, endurance and agility. It can help gain an advantage in rebounding, post-play and setting screens where a strong base is important. Excess weight can impact a players speed and athletic abilites potentially making them less effective.
Minnesota Lynx undrafted rookie guard Olivia Epoupa is the lightest player in the WNBA standing 5’5” and weighing just 122 pounds. After spending most of her career overseas, Epoupa was signed by the Lynx prior to the start of the season and then traded to the Washington Mystics on August 20 as part of a package for forward Myisha Hines-Allen. Epoupa would be waived that same day and then returned to the Lynx for the end of the regular season.
Some may relate height with weight and while usually this is true, Margo Dydek, the tallest woman to ever suit up in a WNBA uniform at 7’2” weighed just 223 pounds during her playing career
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