The University of Georgia basketball team is honoring former player Kara Braxton after her death at 43.
Before the team’s game against the University of Florida on Sunday, March 1, the Bulldogs decorated a seat on their bench with Braxton’s No. 54 jersey and a rose, honoring the former forward who was part of the Bulldogs’ 2004 Elite Eight team.
After her time at UGA came to an end (head coach Andy Landers dismissed her from the team in February 2004 after several suspensions), the Detroit Shock selected Braxton in the 2005 WNBA Draft. She went on to win two WNBA Championships with the team. (The Shock eventually moved to Tulsa and are now the Dallas Wings.)
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton,” the WNBA said in a statement via X at the time of her death. “A 10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time.”
Braxton died on Saturday, February 21, after she was involved in a single-car accident in her home state of Georgia. According to a report obtained by USA Today, Braxton “failed to maintain her lane” and “collided with the concrete median wall.”
She was transported to a Marietta, Georgia, hospital where she was pronounced dead.
After her death was announced, Braxton’s former teammate, Plenette Pierson, paid tribute via Instagram. Braxton and Pierson played together with the Shock and again with the New York Liberty later in their careers.
“Karebear……….This still feels unreal,” she wrote. “I keep replaying memories and conversations because part of me expects to hear your voice again. Losing you hurts in a way words cannot hold.”
“We mourn the loss of Kara Braxton, a former Liberty player whose presence and passion left a lasting impact on our organization and the women’s game,” the Liberty added in a statement via X. “Our hearts are with her family, friends, teammates, and all who were touched by her spirit. Her impact will not be forgotten. 🕊️”
Braxton — a Michigan native — retired from basketball in 2014 and spent several years working for Nike in Oregon before moving to Atlanta.
Braxton is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, their son, Jream, and her son, Jelani Thurman, who she shared with former NFL player Odell Thurman.
Jelani is coming off a national championship with the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, where he played tight end. He’s since transferred to the University of North Carolina, where he will play his senior season.
“She taught me to always go hard,” Jelani said of his mom to Yahoo Sports last week. “She’s been to the championship, so she told me about some of the experiences she had and some of the things she had to do to get there.”
He posted several tributes to his mom via Instagram on Sunday, which included a video of his mom reaching over the railing at a Buckeye football game to give him a hug.
Braxton previously said Jelani inspired her to return to Athens, Georgia, in 2026 to finish her degree.
“When he landed at Ohio State, I just said, ‘It’s my turn,” she said in a story for georgiadogs.com at the time. “I got him out the door, got him where he needed to be, so let me go ahead and finish what I wanted to finish. I enrolled at the same time Jelani enrolled, and here I am.”
