One of the best high school basketball players in Oregon history and a two-time WNBA champion has left the basketball world in mourning.

Kara Braxton, a mother of two, died at the age of 43 on Saturday. As per reports, a car accident caused this untimely heartbreak.

The Oregonian ranked Braxton No. 7 on its Top 25 girls’ prep players list in 2017. She earned the Class 4A Player of the Year award at Westview High School for her sophomore and junior years.

As a sophomore, she averaged 18.8 points and 9.7 rebounds during the regular season. She elevated her performance in the state tournament, averaging 22 points and 9.5 rebounds. 

The following season, she averaged 17.8 points and 10 rebounds per game, leading the Wildcats to the 4A state championship. Entering her senior season, scouts ranked her the No. 2 recruit nationally, and she later signed with Georgia. 

During her three seasons there, she averaged 15.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. She also received SEC Freshman of the Year honors after averaging 16.3 points during the 2001–02 season. Then she was selected Braxton No. 7 overall by Detroits in the 2005 WNBA Draft.

So when WNBA got to know about her death, the community couldn’t help but dive in. 

WNBA Mourns Kara Braxton’s Death

As news of her passing spread, tributes poured in from across the basketball community. “So sad 😞 Rest in peace, my canım 🙏🏻,” one fan wrote. “Smh I remember when she was on the New York Liberty 🗽 RIP,” another added.

Braxton played eight seasons in the league with the Detroit Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty, averaging 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She was named a WNBA All-Star in 2007 and won championships with the Shock in 2006 and 2008.

“Damn. So young and talented, all taken away from a car accident. 💔💔 Rest up angel,” wrote another netizen. Her impact extended beyond the court.  After retiring from professional basketball, Braxton worked for Nike in Oregon before relocating to the Atlanta area.

“The homie right here. Always love and a good time. A real genuine friend. No judgment ever. Gonna miss KB big time. Damn sis.” Monique Curry shared a heartfelt note. As of now, Braxton’s survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, and their two sons, Thurman and Jream Jackson. 

The basketball world has lost a competitor, a champion, and a beloved presence. Rest in peace, Kara Braxton.

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Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Joyita Das