Kara Braxton, former WNBA champion and Westview High alum, dies at 43

Kara Braxton, a two-time Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) champion and former standout at Beaverton’s Westview High School, has died at the age of 43. According to reports from The Oregonian, Braxton was killed in a car accident in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday.

“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton,” the WNBA said Sunday in a statement. The New York Liberty also paid tribute on social media, noting that Braxton’s “presence and passion left a lasting impact on our organization and the women’s game.”

Born on February 18, 1983, in Jackson, Michigan, Braxton spent her freshman year of high school there before transferring with her twin sister, Kim, to Westview High School in Beaverton. She earned Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a senior, cementing her status as one of the state’s top prospects.

Braxton, a 6-foot-6 center-forward, played college basketball at the University of Georgia from 2001 to 2004 and entered the WNBA Draft after two-and-a-half seasons. Selected seventh overall by the Detroit Shock in 2005, she made the All-Rookie Team after averaging 6.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She helped the Shock win WNBA titles in 2006 and 2008 and became the team’s starting center in 2007 following the trade of Ruth Riley.

Over a 10-season WNBA career, Braxton also played for the Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty, earning an All-Star selection in 2007. She averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during her professional career.

After retiring from basketball, Braxton worked for Nike in Oregon before moving to the Atlanta area. She is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, and their two sons, Jelani Thurman, who played tight end for Ohio State and helped the team win the 2024 national championship, and Jream Jackson.

Braxton’s legacy as a towering presence on the court and an inspiring figure off it is remembered by her former teammates, fans, and the broader women’s basketball community. Her legacy also continues through her son, Jelani Thurman, who played tight end for Ohio State over the past three years before transferring to the University of North Carolina in January.