Heidi Burge Horton, a former professional basketball player whose remarkable career alongside her twin sister inspired the 2002 Disney Channel movie Double Teamed, has died at the age of 54.
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Horton died on October 5, 2026, according to her obituary. Her death followed a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The University of Virginia women’s basketball program also announced her death on October 8 through a tribute on social media.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Heidi Burge Horton,” the program wrote. “Heidi was a cherished member of the Virginia Women’s Basketball family, her legacy will forever be a part of Virginia Athletics.”
Heidi Burge Horton Battled Cancer In Her Final Years
The former University of Virginia basketball standout received a grade four glioblastoma diagnosis in October 2025. She underwent chemotherapy and other treatments, which initially brought the cancer into remission. However, the disease returned in July 2026.
Born on November 12, 1971, in Harbor City, California, Horton grew up in Redondo Beach before moving to Palos Verdes with her family. She initially showed some reluctance toward basketball, but her twin sister, Heather Burge Quella, helped introduce her to the sport.
The sisters eventually earned basketball scholarships to the University of Virginia, where they played from 1989 to 1993. Alongside their teammates, including future basketball legend Dawn Staley, they helped the Lady Cavaliers capture three Atlantic Coast Conference championships and reach three consecutive NCAA Final Fours.
Their journey through basketball later inspired Disney Channel’s 2002 original movie Double Teamed. The film dramatized the twins’ experiences as they pursued basketball success, although it introduced fictional elements to their real-life story.
After graduating from Virginia in 1993 with degrees in Spanish and rhetoric and communications studies, Horton pursued professional basketball overseas. She competed in France, Hungary, Italy and Greece before returning to the United States.
In 1997, she joined the Los Angeles Sparks during the WNBA’s early years. She subsequently played for the Washington Mystics before a back injury prompted her retirement from professional basketball.