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Former Los Angeles Sparks player Margo Dydek has died after suffering a heart attack a week ago and being placed in a medically-induced coma.
Cathy Roberts, the operations manager for the Northside Wizards in the Queensland
Basketball League, where Dydek was head coach, told The Associated Press that Dydek,
37, died early Friday.
The Poland-born Dydek, who was pregnant with her third child, suffered the heart attack
on May 19 and collapsed at her home in Brisbane. Roberts said that Dydek was at an
early stage in her pregnancy and that her unborn child had also died.
Dydek was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 WNBA draft by the Utah Starzz. She also played for
San Antonio and Connecticut.
The 7-foot-2 Dydek was once said to be the tallest active professional female
basketball player in the world.
She held the record for most blocks in a WNBA career, with 877 in 323 games, and led
the league in blocks nine times, from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2005-07.
On August 27, 2008 Dydek signed with the Sparks following time away from
basketball due to the birth of her first son in April 2008.
An entry on Dydek's Facebook page says she was born on April 28, 1974 in Warsaw, Poland
to a 6-7 father and a 6-3 mother. She had two sisters, and her elder sister, Kashka
used to play for the Colorado Explosion of the now defunct ABL, and in Poland.
Tina Thompson, a former teammate of Dydek's on the Sparks, said on the WNBA's Twitter
feed: "My condolences to the family of Margo Dydek, may she rest in peace!"
The Brisbane-based Wizards posted a statement on their website Friday.
"Always in our hearts - Margo," it said. "With great sadness we acknowledge the passing
of ... Margo Dydek. Margo suffered a heart attack just over a week ago and passed away
Friday 27th May, peacefully and surrounded by her family.
"You were a much-loved member of our community and we will miss you greatly. Our hearts
go out to your family, David and your beautiful boys xx."<
She is survived by her husband, David, and two sons, David, 3, and Alex, seven
months.

Margo Dydek, the Polish-born center who last played for the Sparks in 2008, had a heart attack Thursday morning in Brisbane, Australia and is currently in a medically-induced coma.

The 37-year-old is in her second season as a coach in the D-League section of the Queensland Basketball League. She lives in Brisbane and is three months pregnant with her third child.

Dydek, who is 7-foot-2, was drafted No. 1 by the Utah Starzz in 1998 and played for the Starzz, the San Antonio Silver Stars and the Connecticut Sun before joining the Sparks. She currently holds the record for most blocks in a WNBA career, with 877 blocks in 323 games.

The Sparks join the Phoenix Mercury as the only two teams - so far - to display sponsors names and logos on their jerseys. Whatever adds revenue to the team in these economic times always helps.

The Sparks have a deal with Farmers Insurance Group, while the Mercury had struck a deal with LifeLock, an identity theft protection company.

With Candace Parker (#1), Diana Taurasi of the Mercury (#2) and Lisa Leslie (#3) the top jersey sales and several of the most visible players in the league, its a pretty good business decision as well.

The Sparks did impress with their home win over Detroit on Saturday, even with Leslie having an off-game and Parker still out on maternity. Imagine when they are full strength - so you can have Lennox, Thompson, Leslie and Parker on the court at once. No wonder they were voted the unanimous pick for the title this year.

Here is Thompson against the Shock on Saturday.

Go here for Josh Jovanelly's game story - with more detail and quotes from the players and Cooper.