Kara Braxton, WNBA champ who played with New York Liberty, dead at age 43
Kara Braxton, a two-time WNBA champ with the Detroit Shock who finished her career with the New York Liberty, has died.
The mother of two had turned 43 on Feb. 18.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton,” the league announced Sunday. “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.”
No official cause of death had been given as of Monday, but The Oregonian reported that she had been killed in a car accident in Atlanta, citing local news sources.
Braxton made her mark at Westview High School in Oregon as one of the best high school basketball players in the state’s history, The Oregonian noted of its protégé.
The 6-foot-6 center forward rounded out her 10-season WNBA career with the New York Liberty in 2014 after being traded there during the 2011 season.
She is survived by sons Jelani Thurman, who played football for Ohio State University, and Jrem Jackson, as well as husband Jarvis Jackson and her twin sister, Kim, who also played basketball alongside her.
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