Heidi Burge Horton died on Tuesday, October 6, at the age of 54 after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer diagnosed in 2025.
The University of Virginia, where she starred in college basketball alongside her twin sister Heather, issued a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Heidi Burge Horton. Heidi was a cherished member of the Virginia Women’s Basketball family, her legacy will forever be a part of Virginia Athletics. Our sincere condolences to her family and loved ones.”
Burge Horton helped Virginia dominate the Atlantic Coast Conference from 1989 to 1993. She and Heather won three ACC tournament titles and three regular season championships during their four years. The Cavaliers reached the NCAA women’s Final Four three times with the Burge twins anchoring their frontcourt. Over her college career, Heidi averaged 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
ESPN’s Michael Voepel reflected on the Burge sisters’ impact, writing on Twitter, “Heidi had very good face-up jumper and a great high-low passing connection with Heather. Burge twins were ‘California girls’ who came across country to Charlottesville & were beloved by UVA WBB fans. If you only know them through Disney movie ‘Double Teamed,’ trust me, they really were very good basketball players and didn’t do any of the goofy moves in the film.”
The Burge twins also held the Guinness World Record for “World’s Tallest Female Identical Twins,” awarded in 1992.
After college, Burge Horton played internationally from 1995 to 1997 before joining the WNBA in its early years. She appeared in 52 games for the Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to 1998, averaging 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds mainly coming off the bench during the Sparks’ inaugural season.
The following season, she played 30 games and started 15 for the Washington Mystics, improving to 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Her professional career spanned just two years before she retired from playing.
Following her time on the court, Burge Horton became president and head coach of Hoops-School, a youth basketball training organisation based in West Houston. She also worked as an Orthopedic Massage and Physio-Therapist in the same area.
Her death at 54 closes the chapter on a career that bridged collegiate success, pioneering years of the WNBA, and continued involvement in basketball development and therapy. The University of Virginia’s tribute confirms her lasting place in the history of women’s college basketball.
According to Yahoo Sports.
