Two-time WNBA champion Kara Braxton dies in car crash

Former WNBA All-Star Kara Braxton died on Saturday in a tragic car accident in Cobb County, Ga.

Braxton, a 6’6″ center who played 10 seasons in the WNBA, was reportedly involved in a single-car crash that occurred just outside Atlanta at around 5:13 p.m. According to Mitchell Northam and Heather Burns of USA Today, Braxton drove her blue 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E into a concrete median wall as the vehicle approached Cobb Parkway.

Per the report, Braxton was transported to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She was 43.

The Detroit Shock selected Braxton in the first round of the 2005 WNBA draft. The Georgia alum spent her first five seasons with the team, which moved to Tulsa during her sixth season.

Braxton won two championships with the Shock in 2006 and 2008. She earned her lone All-Star nod in 2007. She also had stints with the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty. She was waived by the Liberty in 2014, marking the end of her WNBA career. She had career averages of 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds across 297 games.

The Detroit Pistons honored Braxton in a statement posted Monday.

“It is with great sadness that the Detroit Pistons mourn the passing of former Detroit Shock center Kara Braxton,” the statement read. “A two-time WNBA champion with the Shock in 2006 and 2008, she shined on and off the court and patrolled the paint with the strength and toughness synonymous with Detroit basketball. Our hearts and thoughts are with her family, former teammates and friends during this difficult time.”