Kara Braxton, who played in the WNBA for 10 seasons and won two championships, has died at age 43, the league announced on Sunday.
No cause of death or location was provided for Braxton, whose birthday was Wednesday.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton,” the WNBA said in a statement on social media. “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 Detroit Shock selected Braxton, a 6-foot-6 forward/center, with the seventh overall pick of the 2005 WNBA Draft.
Her career averages were 7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 16.5 minutes in 297 regular-season games (120 starts) for Detroit/Tulsa (2005-10), Phoenix (2010-11) and New York (2011-14).
Braxton also averaged 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 16.1 minutes in 46 playoff games (11 starts).
She won league championships in 2006 and 2008 with the Detroit Shock, who relocated to Tulsa for the 2010 season. She was on the WNBA All-Rookie team in 2005 and an All-Star in 2007.
“We mourn the loss of Kara Braxton, a former Liberty player whose presence and passion left a lasting impact on our organization and the women’s game,” the Liberty wrote on the team’s X account. “Our hearts are with her family, friends, teammates, and all who were touched by her spirit. Her impact will not be forgotten.”
Braxton was born in Jackson, Michigan. She played high school basketball for Westview in Portland, Ore., and in college at Georgia.
She played from 2001-04 for the Bulldogs and averaged 15.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.8 blocks and 24.0 minutes in 71 games. Braxton was the Southeastern Conference Rookie of the Year and All-Freshman and All-SEC for the 2001-02 campaign.
According to reports, she extended her professional career by playing overseas through the 2017-18 season. After retirement, she worked for Nike in Oregon before moving to the Atlanta area, USA Today reported.
She is survived by her husband Jarvis Jackson and sons Jream Jackson and Jelani Thurman, USA Today reported. Thurman was a tight end on Ohio State’s national championship team in 2024 and after his third season transferred to North Carolina in January.
–Field Level Media
