WNBA Star Kara Braxton Dies At 43, Her Basketball Career, Personal Life, Net Worth And More Explored

Kara Braxton was a beloved American professional basketball player. In fact, she was one of the most well-known names in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), having played from 2005 to 2014. It is worth noting that she won two championships in the 10 seasons she was in the league. Now, in a tragic piece of news, the Women’s National Basketball Association revealed that Kara Braxton has passed away in a social media post on Sunday, February 22, 2026. 

Kara’s cause of death was revealed later as the outcome of a car accident. Reportedly, she was only 43 years old at the time of her death. As we continue to remember her as a champion who was also a supportive teammate and a loving mother, let’s take a look back at Kara’s basketball career, her personal life and family, her net worth at the time of her death in 2026 and more.  

Not much information is available about Kara Braxton’s parents. However, one thing we do know is that her father also played basketball. Kara has three siblings, Kim, Jackson, and Michigan. It is worth mentioning that Kim is Kara’s twin sister.  

Kara, for her freshman season, played basketball at Jackson High before moving to Oregon. Later, she enrolled at Westview High School in the Beaverton School District, Portland, OR. For college, Kara attended the University of Georgia. Here, she was suspended by Coach Andy Landers during the 2002-2003 season after committing several violations of team rules. It is worth noting that, despite this, during her time at the University, Kara was named SEC Rookie of the Year.  

Kara Braxton was picked by the Detroit Shock as their 7th overall pick in the 2005 WNBA draft. She spent five full seasons playing for the team during which, in 2006 and 2008, she helped them win the tournament. In 2007, Kara was selected as an All-Star player, which happened to be the only time in her years-long basketball career. During that season, Kara notably averaged 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. While she once again helped the Detroit Shock reach the finals that year, they ended up losing at the hands of the Phoenix Mercury.

She was traded to Phoenix after the franchise officially moved to Tulsa. Her time with them was short-lived as she was traded for the second time to the New York Liberty just a year later. It is worth noting that Kara Braxton played her final four seasons with the team before retiring in 2014. During her WNBA career, Kara Braxton averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds. Furthermore, Kara has played internationally, where she won two championships in Poland. She was named the Chinese League MVP in 2010.  

Although Kara Braxton retired from the WNBA, she continued her career overseas. Some of the leagues where Kara has competed professionally are Poland, Turkey, China, and Italy. To mention, Kara continued playing internationally until the 2017-2018 season, with her career abroad becoming an important part of her overall earnings as a professional athlete. In the years she retired from basketball, Kara Braxton went on to work with Nike in Oregon. Later, she moved to the Atlanta area and even completed her degree and graduated from there.  

According to several reports online, it is believed that Kara’s net worth in 2026 ranged between USD 2 million and USD 3 million. It is important to note that her net worth at the time of her death was not only built through her career in the WNBA but also through her international contracts and endorsements, as well as her employment after she decided to retire from basketball. 

Although the WNBA salaries were lower at the time Kara was still actively playing, the fact that she had consistent roster spots and postseason appearances provided her with a lot of stability. Her short-term contracts in overseas leagues also proved very lucrative.  

Kara Braxton is survived by Jarvis Jackson, her husband, and Jelani Thurman and Jream Thurman, her two sons. Kara’s son, Jelani Thurman, is also an athlete like her. Notably, he used to be a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, which won the National Championship in 2024. In her life off the court, she was always known for her leadership, her kindness, as well as the close relationships she had built with people throughout her basketball career.  

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) mourned Kara’s passing by sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter). The post can be read as, “It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2-time WNBA Champion Kara Braxton.” Afterwards, her former franchise, the New York Liberty, also took to X on Sunday, February 22, to pay tribute to her. They wrote: 

“Braxton’s presence and passion left a lasting impact on our organisation and the women’s game.”  

May Kara Braxton rest in peace.