Kara Braxton

Kara Braxton
Free agent
Position	Power forward / center
Personal information
Born	February 18, 1983 (age 41); Jackson, Michigan, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school	Westview (Beaverton, Oregon)
College	Georgia (2002–2005)
WNBA draft	2005: 1st round, 7th overall pick
	Selected by the Detroit Shock
Playing career	2005–present
Career history
2005–2008	Detroit Shock
2010	Tulsa Shock
2010–2011	Phoenix Mercury
2011–2014	New York Liberty
Career highlights and awards
	WNBA All-Star (2007); 2× WNBA champion (2006, 2008); WNBA All-Rookie Team (2005); First-team All-SEC (2002); SEC Freshman of the Year (2002); SEC All-Freshman Team (2002);
	Stats at WNBA.com
	Stats at Basketball Reference

Kara Liana Braxton (born February 18, 1983) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Early life

Kara and her twin sister Kim grew up in a household with four other siblings in Jackson, Michigan. Her father also played basketball. She played her freshman season at Jackson High and then moved to Oregon. She and her twin sister later enrolled at Westview High School, in the Portland suburb of Beaverton.

Braxton attended the University of Georgia, 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.^[1] She graduated in 2005.

Georgia statistics

Source^[2]

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Year	Team	GP	Points	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2001-02	Georgia	30	489	54.0	14.3	62.6	6.8	2.3	1.8	2.0	16.3
2002-03	Georgia	21	330	55.1	28.6	73.2	7.3	2.5	1.4	2.0	15.7
2003-04	Georgia	20	274	47.8	16.7	64.8	8.0	1.2	1.4	1.3	13.7
Career	Georgia	71	1582	52.6	20.0	65.9	7.3	2.0	1.6	1.8	15.4

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 linebacker Odell Thurman.

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 to the San Antonio Stars. 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.

WNBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game	RPG	Rebounds per game
APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game	BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game
TO	Turnovers per game	FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
Bold	Career best	°	League leader

Regular season


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2005	Detroit	33	2	13.8	46.2	0.0	55.0	3.0	0.4	0.5	0.4	1.6	6.9
2006	Detroit	34	1	10.6	40.6	0.0	62.5	3.4	0.8	0.3	0.3	1.6	4.3
2007	Detroit	31	20	17.6	44.7	0.0	67.2	5.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	2.0	6.7
2008	Detroit	33	10	17.9	41.5	0.0	74.3	5.1	0.8	0.4	0.7	1.6	8.9
2009	Detroit	28	2	18.0	52.7	0.0	64.5	6.0	1.5	0.7	0.6	1.8	9.0
2010	Tulsa	22	16	16.8	50.0	25.0	63.9	4.6	1.3	1.1	0.8	3.0	9.3
2010	Phoenix	13	0	17.2	54.4	0.0	71.1	4.8	1.2	0.6	0.4	2.1	11.1
2011	Phoenix	18	18	19.8	55.9	50.0	59.5	4.9	1.3	0.8	0.8	1.8	10.6
2011	New York	13	0	12.8	39.7	33.3	40.0	3.0	0.8	0.4	0.5	1.5	3.9
2012	New York	34	18	15.7	48.1	20.0	45.0	4.5	1.1	0.5	0.6	2.2	6.6
2013	New York	34	33	21.8	48.1	0.0	66.1	6.6	1.2	0.6	0.4	2.3	8.7
2014	New York	4	0	7.8	50.0	0.0	100.0	1.0	0.8	0.3	0.3	1.0	2.5
Career	12 years, 4 teams	297	120	16.4	47.5	28.0	64.1	4.7	0.9	0.6	0.5	1.9	7.6

Playoffs


Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2005	Detroit	2	0	18.0	27.8	0.0	83.3	3.5	1.0	0.0	0.0	1.5	7.5
2006	Detroit	10	0	12.3	42.3	0.0	54.5	2.8	0.6	0.8	0.4	1.8	5.0
2007	Detroit	11	0	15.5	46.9	0.0	70.8	5.5	0.5	0.3	0.7	1.8	7.0
2008	Detroit	9	9	20.0	50.0	0.0	65.0	5.3	1.0	0.4	0.6	1.9	8.6
2009	Detroit	5	0	19.2	54.1	0.0	57.1	6.8	1.4	0.8	1.4	2.4	9.6
2010	Phoenix	4	0	13.3	59.3	100.0	42.9	2.5	0.8	0.3	0.3	1.8	9.0
2011	New York	3	0	16.0	50.0	0.0	100.0	4.3	1.7	0.3	0.3	1.7	5.0
2012	New York	2	2	17.5	43.8	0.0	0.0	3.5	0.0	2.0	0.0	0.5	7.0
Career	8 years, 3 teams	46	11	16.1	47.6	25.0	63.9	4.5	0.8	0.5	0.6	1.8	7.2