Former Virginia standout and WNBA player Heidi Burge Horton died on Oct. 5 after battling brain cancer. She was 54.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Heidi Burge Horton,” the school posted this week. “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.”
The 6-foot-5 Burge Horton played alongside her identical twin sister, Heather Burge, for four seasons and helped to establish the Cavaliers as a national powerhouse along with All-America teammate Dawn Staley.
“We are all heartbroken!” Staley, now the coach at South Carolina, posted on X. “We love you Heidi. May your soul rest in peace and your body pain free.”
Virginia reached the Final Four in each of Burge Horton’s first three seasons in 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92, losing 70-67 to Tennessee in the 1991 national championship game in New Orleans.
Burge Horton averaged 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds in 134 games with the Cavaliers from 1989-93 before playing overseas in France, Hungary, Italy and Greece.
The California native later played two seasons in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks in the league’s inaugural season in 1997 and with the expansion Washington Mystics in 1998, averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 52 games (21 starts).
The Disney Channel released a movie about the Burge twins called “Double Teamed” in 2002.
–Field Level Media
