Kara Braxton Dies at 43, Former WNBA All-Star Won 2 Championships with Detroit Shock

Two-time WNBA champion Kara Braxton died at the age of 43.

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

The New York Liberty, for whom Braxton played four seasons, also noted her passing:

Braxton was a standout at Georgia, winning the SEC Freshman of the Year and earning an all-conference nod in 2001-02. Over three seasons with the Bulldogs, she averaged 15.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

The Detroit Shock selected Braxton seventh overall in the 2005 WNBA draft.

Detroit had no shortage of star power as the squad boasted Hall of Famers Katie Smith and Swin Cash along with Deanna Nolan, Cheryl Ford and Ruth Riley. Braxton made an immediate impression, appearing in all but one of the Shock's 34 games and carving out a reserve role.

The 6'6" center/forward remained a steady contributor as Detroit won the 2006 and 2008 WNBA Finals. She was named an All-Star in 2007 and garnered Sixth Player of the Year votes in each of the following two years.

Braxton stayed with the Shock during their relocation to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2010 but got traded to the Phoenix Mercury midway through that year. The Liberty subsequently acquired her in August 2011.

Across 297 career WNBA appearances, Braxton averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds.