Former WNBA Champion Kara Braxton Passes Away at 43

Two-time WNBA champion Kara Braxton has died at age 43, just days after her birthday. The 6-foot-6 forward/center played 10 seasons in the league and won titles with Detroit in 2006 and 2008.

Two-time WNBA champion Kara Braxton has passed away at the age of 43, the league confirmed Sunday.

The WNBA did not release details about where or how Braxton died. Her 43rd birthday had been just this past 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.”

Detroit chose the 6-foot-6 forward/center as the seventh pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft.

During her decade-long career, Braxton posted averages of 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds while playing 16.5 minutes per game across 297 regular-season contests. She made 120 starts while suiting up for Detroit/Tulsa from 2005-10, Phoenix from 2010-11, and New York from 2011-14.

In postseason play, she contributed 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game over 46 playoff appearances, starting 11 times.

Braxton captured WNBA titles in both 2006 and 2008 as a member of the Detroit Shock, the franchise that later moved to Tulsa in 2010. The league named her to the All-Rookie squad in 2005, and she earned All-Star recognition 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.”

A native of Jackson, Michigan, Braxton attended Westview High School in Portland, Oregon, before playing college basketball at Georgia.

As a Bulldog from 2001-04, she compiled impressive numbers with 15.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks per game over 71 contests. Georgia honored her as SEC Rookie of the Year and named her to both the All-Freshman and All-SEC teams during the 2001-02 season.

Reports indicate Braxton continued her professional playing career internationally until the 2017-18 season. Following retirement, she took a position with Nike in Oregon before relocating to the Atlanta region, according to USA Today.

Braxton leaves behind her husband Jarvis Jackson and two sons, Jream Jackson and Jelani Thurman, USA Today reported. Thurman played tight end for Ohio State’s 2024 national championship squad before transferring to North Carolina this past January after his junior season.