Kara Braxton, 2-time WNBA champion with Detroit Shock, dies at 43 — kara braxton
kara braxton, a two-time WNBA champion with the Detroit Shock, died at age 43 after an automobile crash in the Atlanta area on Saturday. The WNBA said Sunday it mourns her passing and extended condolences to her family, friends and former teammates.
Crash details on I-285
The Cobb County Police Department said Monday that Braxton was driving on Interstate 285 in Atlanta on Saturday when her vehicle struck a concrete median. One account described the crash as occurring Saturday afternoon in the Atlanta area, while police records give a more specific time: Cobb County police said she was behind the wheel of a 2023 Ford Mustang heading north on Interstate 285 just after 5 p. m. Saturday when the car struck the concrete median wall.
Police said the Ford continued in a northerly direction against the concrete wall until coming to rest on the left shoulder of I-285 at Cobb Parkway. An account said Braxton was driving alone. She was rushed to a local hospital and was pronounced dead; a specific hospital listing names Wellstar Kennestone Hospital as where she was taken and pronounced dead. The crash is still under investigation, and investigators have asked witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.
Kara Braxton's WNBA career
Braxton entered the WNBA as the No. 7 overall pick of the Detroit Shock in the 2005 draft and made the league's all-rookie team that season. A 10-season veteran, she played for the Detroit Shock, the Tulsa Shock, the Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty during a 10-year domestic pro career. She was a two-time WNBA champion with Detroit, winning titles in 2006 and 2008 on teams led by coach Bill Laimbeer and standouts Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith.
She was named an All-Star in 2007 and that season averaged 6. 7 points and 5. 4 rebounds while the Shock reached the Finals before falling to the Phoenix Mercury. Braxton finished fourth in Sixth Player of the Year balloting in both 2008 and 2009. Across her WNBA career she averaged 7. 6 points and 4. 7 rebounds; another summary lists those same averages over 297 games.
College years and exit
At the University of Georgia, Braxton was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002. One account lists her Georgia playing years as 2001 to 2004; another referenced her Georgia years as 2002–04. Her rookie college season averages were 16. 3 points and 2. 0 blocked shots per game. Her college career in Athens ended in February 2004, when she was a junior and was removed from the team for undisclosed violations of team policies; Georgia advanced to the Elite Eight that year. Braxton later returned to Georgia to finish her degree and graduated in spring 2024.
Overseas play and honors
After her WNBA seasons, Braxton played overseas in Turkey, China, Israel and South Korea. Her overseas résumé included a pair of Polish league championships and a Chinese league MVP award in 2010. Her most productive WNBA scoring seasons came in Phoenix, where she averaged 10. 8 points and 4. 9 rebounds per game in parts of 2010 and 2011 for the Mercury.
Family, reactions and survivors
"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton, " the WNBA said Sunday. "Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time. " Her oldest son, Jelani Thurman, who spent the past three seasons at Ohio State as a tight end, posted photos of himself and his mother and wrote on social media, "Imma miss my queen!" Jelani won a national title with the Buckeyes in 2024 and transferred to North Carolina in January; he is listed as a University of North Carolina tight end in one account.
Braxton worked for Nike for several years after retiring from basketball in 2019 and had relocated to the Atlanta area. She is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, and their young son, Jream.
The Cobb County Police Department said investigations into the crash are ongoing and that they want to speak with witnesses or anyone who may have information about the incident.
kara braxton's death closes the chapter on a player who left marks at Georgia, in the WNBA and overseas, and whose on-court achievements included two league championships and an All-Star selection.
