Kara Braxton, who won two WNBA with Detroit Shock dies at 43

Kara Braxton, an ex-WNBA player with roots in the Portland area, died in a tragic car crash on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia. She was 43.

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) mourns the passing of Braxton in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The post read, “It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2-time WNBA Champion Kara Braxton.”

Braxton played for the Detroit Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty.

Paying tribute to Braxton, her former franchise, New York Liberty also posted on X Sunday, February 22, saying, “Braxton’s presence and passion left a lasting impact on our organization and the women’s game.”

Who was Kara Braxton?

Braxton was born Feb. 18, 1983, in Jackson, Michigan, where she began her high school career before joining Westview High School in the Beaverton School District.

Kara Braxton, a 6-foot-6-inch center-forward, played at Georgia from 2001 to 2004 and was awarded the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002.

At Westview, along with her sister, Kim, she earned Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a senior.

Braxton played basketball for two and a half seasons at Georgia before entering the WNBA Draft.

Braxton, in 2005 while playing for the Detroit Shock, was named to the league’s All-Rookie team after putting up 6.9 points and 3.0 rebounds off the bench.

The next year, she emerged as the key player who helped the Shock to triumph in the WNBA title, and in 2007, she became the starting center for Detroit following the team’s trade of Ruth Riley to the Stars.

Before she moved to the Atlanta area, Braxton worked for Nike in Oregon after hanging up her boots from the professional league.

Braxton is survived by her husband, Jervis Jackson, and two sons, Thurman and Jream Jackson.