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Decorated basketball standout Kara Braxton has died at 43, the WNBA announced Sunday.
"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x champion Kara Braxton," the league shared in a statement.
No cause of death has been released.
Over a 10-season career, Braxton suited up for the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty, helping Detroit capture titles in 2006 and 2008. The 6-foot-6 forward-center was drafted seventh overall in 2005 and earned All-Star honors in 2007.
Before turning pro, she starred at the University of Georgia, where she was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002.
After winning her second championship, Braxton visited the White House and met President Barack Obama.
She is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, two sons, Jelani Thurman and Jream Jackson, and her twin sister, Kim. Thurman played tight end at Ohio State University and was part of the program's 2024 national championship team.
Former teammate Plenette Pierson remembered Braxton as a devoted mother, once calling her boys her "pride and joy."
Braxton averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds across her WNBA tenure, bringing size, energy and postseason poise to every stop. She played her final season in 2014.
Tributes quickly poured in across social media, with fans and former colleagues highlighting her championship pedigree and larger-than-life presence.
As the league reflects on her legacy, Braxton is being remembered not only for the banners she helped raise, but for the family she cherished and the impact she made on teammates, friends and the game itself.
She brought intensity to the paint and a contagious smile off the court, balancing the demands of professional basketball with motherhood. Friends say her proudest moments came in the stands, cheering for her sons and embracing them after big wins.
Even after retirement, she remained connected to the sport, mentoring younger players and supporting community initiatives. Her death leaves a void in women's basketball, but her influence endures through the championships she secured and the family who carries her spirit forward. She was 43 years old at the time of her passing.