Kara Braxton Information & Kara Braxton Links at HealthHaven.com

**Kara Braxton**
Kara Braxton
	WNBA's Tulsa Shock – No. 45
	Center
Born	February 18, 1983 (age 26); Jackson, Michigan
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight	225 lb (102 kg)
College	Georgia
Draft	7th overall, 2005; Detroit Shock
WNBA career	2005–present
Profile	WNBA Info Page
	WNBA Teams
	Detroit Shock (2005-2009); Tulsa Shock (2010-present)

Kara Liana Braxton (born February 18, 1983 in Jackson, Michigan) is an American professional basketball player for the Tulsa franchise (formerly Detroit Shock) in the WNBA. A solid talent, she is also known for her troubles on and off the court.

[edit] Early life

Kara and her older 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.

Kara attended the University of Georgia, and was freshman of the year. She had a promising career, but soon her coaches noticed a pattern. Their best player couldn't seem to abide by team rules. She came late to practice and made various other errors that eventually on February 20, 2004, led to Kara being dismissed from the team for good.^{[citation needed]} She graduated in 2005.

[edit] The WNBA

On April 16, 2005, the Shock drafted Braxton in the first round and was the seventh overall pick in the annual WNBA draft. Many thought she could have gone higher, but teams were concerned by her discipline issues as well as the fact that she had given birth to a son, Jelani, in January 2005. Jelani's father is oft-troubled 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. Her career did not take the step forward that many expected in 2006 - she averaged fewer minutes and points than in her rookie season - but she played a large role in Detroit's WNBA title.

In 2007, Braxton became Detroit's starting center after the Shock traded Ruth Riley to the San Antonio Silver Stars. She averaged 6.0 ppg. Near the end of the 2007 regular season, the WNBA suspended Braxton for two games after she pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. She was also suspended for the first six games of the 2009 season for driving under the influnce of alcohol.

[edit] European career

[edit] Statistics

A Two-time Class 4A player of the year.

[edit] References

[edit] External links