Kara Braxton, a longtime WNBA forward and two-time champion with the Detroit Shock, has died at the age of 43. The league and her former teams confirmed her passing on Sunday, though specific details surrounding her death are not yet available.
Braxton enjoyed a decade-long career in the WNBA after a standout collegiate tenure at the University of Georgia, where she was named the SEC Rookie of the Year. Drafted 7th overall by the Detroit Shock in 2005, she spent her first five full seasons with the franchise, playing a key role in securing WNBA championships in 2006 and 2008.
Her career highlight was an All-Star selection in 2007, a season where she averaged 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds and helped lead the Shock to the Finals. After the Shock relocated to Tulsa, Braxton was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in 2010 and later to the New York Liberty, where she played her final four seasons until 2014.
Over her 297-game career, Braxton averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds. She also achieved success internationally, winning Polish league titles and being named the Chinese league MVP in 2010. After retiring from basketball in 2019, she worked for Nike and recently completed her degree at Georgia in 2024.
Braxton is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, their young son, and her eldest son, Jelani Thurman, a college football tight end.