COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Kara Braxton, a two-time WNBA champion and former University of Georgia women’s basketball player, died Saturday.
Cobb County police said Braxton was in a single-car crash on Interstate 285 northbound near the Cobb Parkway exit. Braxton’s car hit a concrete median wall on the left shoulder. She died at the hospital.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Braxton was 43.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton,” the WNBA wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time.”
Braxton grew up in Oregon and played for UGA from 2002 until 2004. The Detroit Shock drafted Braxton with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft. She played 10 seasons for the Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty. But her family called Atlanta home.
“Our hearts are with Kara’s husband and sons and all those who remember her at this difficult time,” the Atlanta Dream posted.
Braxton’s son, Jelani Thurman, plays college football and recently transferred from Ohio State to North Carolina. He posted a series of tributes to his mother on his Instagram stories, including this post of the two celebrating an Ohio State win.
Braxton is also survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, and their young son.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
