Kara Braxton, Two-Time WNBA Champion with Detroit Shock, Dies at 43 After Solo Car Crash Near Atlanta
Kara Braxton, the 43-year-old two-time WNBA champion with the Detroit Shock, has died after an automobile crash in the Atlanta area. The collision on Interstate 285 on Saturday left investigators examining what happened and prompted an outpouring of grief from the basketball community and Braxton’s family.
Kara Braxton: crash details and investigation status
Law enforcement in Cobb County said Monday that Braxton was driving on Interstate 285 in Atlanta on Saturday when her vehicle struck a concrete median. Descriptions in the provided context place the crash on Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, and just after 5 p. m.; unclear in the provided context which of these timing descriptions is definitive. One account specifies Braxton was behind the wheel of a 2023 Ford Mustang heading north on I-285 when the vehicle struck the concrete median wall. That account describes the Mustang continuing in a northerly direction against the wall until it came to rest on the left shoulder of I-285 at Cobb Parkway.
Details in the context indicate Braxton was driving alone. She was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead; one account names Wellstar Kennestone Hospital as the facility where she was pronounced dead, while other descriptions use the phrase local hospital. The crash remains under investigation, and investigators have expressed a desire to speak with witnesses or anyone with information about the incident.
Immediate statements and family reaction
The women’s professional league issued a statement Sunday expressing profound sadness at Braxton’s passing: "It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton. " The statement added that thoughts are with her family, friends and former teammates at this time. Braxton’s son, Jelani Thurman, posted photos of himself with his mother spanning his childhood through his college years and wrote, "Imma miss my queen!"
Braxton is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, and a young son named Jream. Her oldest son, Jelani Thurman, is a college football tight end who spent the past three seasons at Ohio State, won a national title with the Buckeyes in 2024, and transferred to North Carolina in January.
Career arc: draft, WNBA titles and team timeline
Braxton entered the professional ranks as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Detroit Shock. She won WNBA championships with Detroit in 2006 and 2008 while the Shock were led by coach Bill Laimbeer alongside standouts Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith. The Shock later moved to Tulsa in 2010, and Braxton spent part of that 2010 season with the franchise before being traded to the Phoenix Mercury. She was dealt to the New York Liberty in 2011 and finished her WNBA career with New York in 2014.
Over a decade-long domestic professional run, context references Braxton as a 10-season veteran and notes a 10-year WNBA career; another description uses the phrase decade in the NBA. Unclear in the provided context whether the differing phrasings reflect an error or a single intended fact. One summary of her WNBA totals lists 297 games with career averages of 7. 6 points and 4. 7 rebounds. She earned an All-Star selection in 2007 and finished fourth in Sixth Player of the Year balloting in both 2008 and 2009.
Peaks, overseas play and post-playing life
Braxton’s most productive WNBA stretch came in Phoenix, where she averaged 10. 8 points and 4. 9 rebounds in parts of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. After domestic play, she continued her career overseas in Turkey, China, Israel and South Korea, and she also won a pair of Polish league championships and was named Chinese league MVP in 2010.
Following her playing career, Braxton worked for a sports apparel company for several years after retiring in 2019 and had relocated to the Atlanta area. She returned to the University of Georgia to finish her degree and graduated in spring 2024; another contextual description states she returned to Georgia to finish her degree and graduate in 2024.
College history and unresolved details in the record
At the University of Georgia, Braxton was a dominant freshman and was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2002. One contextual description lists her college playing span as 2001–2004 while another lists it as 2002–2004; unclear in the provided context which set of years is definitive. One account gives freshman-year averages of 16. 3 points and 2. 0 blocked shots per game. Her college career in Athens ended in February 2004 when she was removed from the team for undisclosed violations of team policies; Georgia reached the Elite Eight that year.
Details remain under investigation and may evolve as law enforcement continues its work. The facts above summarize the distinct information present in the provided context about Kara Braxton’s career, the crash near Atlanta, and immediate family and community responses.
