Since its inception in April of 1996, the Women’s National Basketball Association has featured elite talent on the court.
And if you’re wondering about the size needed to compete at this level, we’ve already broken down the average height of WNBA players by position (spoiler alert: most are not as tall as you think).
That being said, there are plenty of so-called “freaks of nature” that compete in this league. These women are the outliers and game-changers who can physically dominate at the rim.
Here is our complete breakdown of the tallest players in the WNBA – now and throughout league history. Keep in mind, while other sources may differ in their reporting of exact heights, our list is based on official data provided by WNBA.com.
- Margo Dydek (7’2″)
- Han Xu (6’11”)
- Bernadett Határ (6’10”)
- Brittney Griner (6’9″)
- Razija Mujanović (6’8″)
- Liz Cambage (6’8″)
- Katie Mattera (6’8″)
- Maria Stepanova (6’8″)
- Haixia Zheng (6’8″)
Margo Dydek (7’2″)
At 7 feet 2 inches (2.18 meters), Margo Dydek is the tallest player in WNBA history.
Hailing from Warsaw, Poland, the center was born to a 6’7″ father and a 6’3″ mother. After six impressive seasons in Europe, the Utah Starzz (now the Las Vegas Aces) made Dydek the first overall pick of the 1998 WNBA Draft.
“Some people want sensation,” she told Sports Illustrated. “But I don’t like the newspapers or the interviews or the cameras.”
Dydek let her play on the court do the talking. She finished her career as the all-time WNBA blocks leader (877) and a 2-time All-Star. The 7’2″ center was also the teammate of 5′ 2.5″ Debbie Black, one of the shortest WNBA players of all time.
Eight years after her tragic passing in 2011, Dydek was posthumously inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.
“Not only was Margo a great basketball player,” said then-Sparks GM, Penny Toler. “She was one of the kindest people I had the opportunity to play against and later work with.”
Han Xu (6’11”)
Prior to being selected in the 2nd round of the 2019 WNBA Draft, there wasn’t much footage of Han Xu available on the internet.
But since entering the league as a 19-year-old rookie, the 6’11” Chinese center has certainly made an impression.
“I do want to inspire not just Chinese kids, but kids all over,” Xu told The New York Post. “Because I’m so young — to [say] if I can do it they can do it. To inspire everybody and hope that I myself am an inspiration.”
Despite never having played college basketball in the USA, Xu has defied the odds to reach the highest level of the sport.
Bernadett Határ (6’10”)
After five seasons in the EuroLeague A Division for Sopron Basket, Bernadett Határ’s first chance in the WNBA came to a screeching halt.
An injury held her out of the entire 2020 season, and another forced her to miss the majority of 2021. But after time spent with her old team overseas, and more injuries, she returned to the WNBA with the Connecticut Sun in 2023.
This time, the 6’10” Hungarian center hopes to stick around for the long haul.
Brittney Griner (6’9″)
Brittney Griner has been a superstar player since day one. After being rated the number one women’s high school basketball player, she captured the national spotlight in her time at Baylor University.
Since entering the WNBA as the first overall pick in 2013, the 6’9″ Houston native has accumulated a list of accolades almost too long to keep track of.
She is an Olympic gold medalist, WNBA Champion, and perennial All-Star. Upon her retirement from the league, Griner will undoubtedly be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
RELATED: How Breanna Stewart Overcame a Difficult Childhood to Become WNBA MVP
Razija Mujanović (6’8″)
While the 6’8″ Bosnian center played just one season in the WNBA, she made her presence felt by ranking second in the league in field goal percentage.
But Mujanović’s real impact came on the overseas circuit, where she spent the majority of her 27-year playing career (from 1982 to 2009).
The 3-time Euroscar European Player of the Year was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017.
Liz Cambage (6’8″)
Born in London, Liz Cambage moved to Australia with her mother when she was just three months old.
Reaching 6’5″ by the time she turned 14, she was relentlessly teased about her height in school. She originally started playing basketball as a way to make friends.
“The best advice I’ve ever received is that you have to live your life, not someone else’s,” Cambage told Yahoo Sports. “Do what’s good for you.”
The 6’8″ All-Star center was the WNBA’s scoring leader in 2018.
Katie Mattera (6’8″)
At Liberty University, Katie Mattera led the nation in field goal percentage in back-to-back seasons (2004 and 2005).
Drafted 8th overall in 2005, the 6’8″ center was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team after a stellar first season.
She began coaching after her pro career concluded, serving briefly as an assistant at her alma mater before becoming the head coach at NAIA Cornerstone University.
Maria Stepanova (6’8″)
Standing at 6’8″ (2.03 meters), Maria Stepanova was drafted eighth overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 1998.
The Russian native was named the FIBA Europe Women’s Player of the Year three times in four years. She also helped Team Russia win two bronze medals in the Olympics in 2004 and 2008.
Haixia Zheng (6’8″)
After retiring from the Chinese national team (where she won a Gold medal), Haixia Zheng was chosen as the final pick in the 1997 WNBA Elite Draft, a draft that allowed teams to select players already playing professionally.
The 6’8″ center made history in her two WNBA seasons, becoming the first Asian woman and international player to win an award in the league (the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award). She also led all players in field goal percentage in 1997.
Zheng was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2021.
More of the tallest players in WNBA history:
- Lindsay Taylor (6’8″)
- Olga Firsova (6’8″)
- Kalani Brown (6’7″)
- Teaira McCowan (6’7″)
- Jonquel Jones (6’6″)
- Awak Kuier (6’6″)
- Mercedes Russell (6’6″)
- Azurá Stevens (6’6″)
- Shakira Austin (6’5″)
- Aliyah Boston (6’5″)
- Elena Delle Donne (6’5″)
- Liz Dixon (6’5″)
- Stefanie Dolson (6’5″)
- Khaalia Hillsman (6’5″)
- Dorka Juhász (6’5″)
- Olivia Nelson-Ododa (6’5″)
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