World’s Tallest Female Basketballer Dies from Heart-attack

Added by Tania Sullivan on June 2, 2011

The world’s tallest female basketball player has died after suffering a heart attack at the age of 37, Fox Sports reports.

218.4cm tall Malgorzata “Margo” Dydek, and her unborn baby has died following a heart-attack which caused her to go into cardiac arrest on May 19. She had since been in a medically induced coma at Brisbane Hospital.

“Large Marge”, as she was affectionately called by teammates, a star of the Woman’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), was originally from Poland but had been living in Brisbane where she coached the Northside Wizards –  a team from the Queensland Basketball League.

Dydek was selected as the number one draft pick in 1998 by the Utah Starzz, signalling the start of her career in the WNBA. She played for the Starzz for some seven years. In 2005, she moved to Connecticut Sun. She ended her career with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Her 877 blocks in 323 games placed her at the top of most blocks in a WNBA career.

She leaves behind her husband David and two sons.