Kara Braxton: Two-time WNBA champion dies aged 43

Kara Braxton, a two-time WNBA champion with the Detroit Shock and former University of Georgia star, has died at the age of 43.

The league confirmed the news on Sunday, though no cause of death was immediately announced.

“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton,” the WNBA said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time.”

A standout college and pro career

The 6ft 6in forward-center first rose to prominence playing collegiately for the Georgia Lady Bulldogs between 2001 and 2004.

Her impact on the court was immediate, earning her the title of SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002.

Following her college success, she was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2005 WNBA draft by the Detroit Shock.

She wasted little time adapting to the professional game, securing a spot on the league’s all-rookie team that same season.

Her tenure in Michigan proved to be the most successful period of her career.

She played a pivotal role in the franchise’s golden era, helping the team lift the WNBA championship trophy in both 2006 and 2008.

The 2007 All-Star remained with the franchise when it relocated to Tulsa for the 2010 campaign.

However, she was traded partway through that season to the Phoenix Mercury.

During the 2011 season, the veteran post player moved to the New York Liberty, where she eventually concluded her professional career in 2014.

Over the course of a decade in the WNBA, she averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Her sporting legacy continues through her son, Jelani Thurman.

Thurman, a college football tight end, recently transferred to North Carolina in January after spending the previous three years at Ohio State.