Kara Braxton, a former WNBA All-Star who spent a decade in the league, has died at the age of 43, the WNBA announced on social media on Sunday. The cause of death was not disclosed. Braxton leaves behind a lasting legacy as a champion, teammate, and mother. Selected No. 7 overall in the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock, Braxton made an immediate impact. She earned WNBA All-Rookie Team honors after averaging 6.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in her first season. Standing 6-foot-6, the powerful forward played a key role on Detroit teams that won league championships in 2006 and 2008.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton. A 10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time,” the WNBA shared on X.
She is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, and her two sons. One of them, Jelani Thurman, was a tight end on the 2024 national championship team at Ohio State Buckeyes, reported USA Today. After the Shock relocated to Tulsa, Braxton continued her career there and also had stints with the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty. Beyond the WNBA, she enjoyed a long international career, playing professionally in Poland, Turkey, China, and Italy through the 2017–18 season.
According to Yahoo Sports, she also found major success overseas, winning two Polish league championships and earning Chinese league MVP honors in 2010. Following her retirement, Braxton worked for Nike in Oregon and later moved to the Atlanta area.
Live EventsBorn in Jackson, Michigan, on February 18, 1983, Braxton attended high school in Michigan before transferring to Westview High School in Portland, Oregon, where she was named Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year, according to USA Today. She later played college basketball at Georgia before being dismissed from the program by then-coach Andy Landers.
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