Kara Liana Braxton (born February 18, 1983) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was ...

of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Nati ...

(WNBA).

Early life

Kara and her twin sister Kim grew up in a household with four other siblings in

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approx ...

. Her father also played basketball. She played her freshman season at Jackson High and then moved to

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. She and her twin sister later enrolled at Westview High School, in the Portland suburb of Beaverton. Braxton attended the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

, and was freshman of the year. She was frequently late to practice and committed other unspecified violations of team rules, and after three suspensions during the 2002–03 season, on February 20, 2004, coach Andy Landers dismissed Braxton from the team.Associated Press
"Georgia Dismisses Leading Scorer Braxton"
February 20, 2004 She graduated in 2005.

Georgia statistics

Source

The WNBA

On April 16, 2005, the Shock drafted Braxton in the first round as the seventh overall pick in the annual WNBA draft. She had given birth to a son, Jelani, in January 2005. Jelani's father is

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...

linebacker

Odell Thurman Odell Lamar Thurman (born July 9, 1983) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia. Early years Odell Thurman attended Ja ...

. Braxton was named to the WNBA's All-Rookie team in 2005 after averaging 6.9 points and 3.0 rebounds as a key reserve for the Shock. In 2006, she averaged fewer minutes and points than in her rookie season, but helped the Shock win the WNBA title that year. In 2007, Braxton became Detroit's starting center after the Shock traded

Ruth Riley Ruth Ellen Riley Hunter (born August 28, 1979) is a retired American professional basketball player (a center), playing most recently for the Atlanta Dream in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her Notre Dame team won the NCAA ...

to the

San Antonio Stars The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before the ...

. She averaged 6.0 ppg. Near the end of the 2007 regular season, the WNBA suspended Braxton for two games after she pled guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. She was also suspended for the first six games of the 2009 season for a second DUI. On May 28, 2014, the Liberty waived Braxton.

European career

*2005–2006: TS Wisla Can-Pack Krakow (champion) *2006–2007: Beşiktaş Cola Turka *2007–2008: TS Wisla Can-Pack Krakow (champion) *2008–2009: Galatasaray *2009–2010: Liaoning Hengye (MVP, champion) *2010–2011: Liaoning Hengye *2011–2012: Optimum TED *2012–2013:

Nadezhda Orenburg PBK Nadezhda Orenburg (russian: ПБК «Надежда») is a Russian women's basketball club from Orenburg founded in 1994. Nadezhda has been 3rd in the Russian Premier League in 2010 and 2011, and reached the Russian Cup's final from 2011� ...

Statistics

* A two-time Class 4A player of the year.

References

External links

WNBA Player Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Braxton, Kara 1983 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Poland American expatriate basketball people in Russia American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American women's basketball players Basketball players from Michigan Beşiktaş women's basketball players Centers (basketball) Detroit Shock players Galatasaray S.K. (women's basketball) players Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball players Phoenix Mercury players Sportspeople from Beaverton, Oregon Tulsa Shock players Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars People from Jackson, Michigan Liaoning Flying Eagles players