What's Going On With The WNBA
Kara Braxton, a former WNBA All-Star who played 10 years in the league, including two with the Phoenix Mercury, has died, the league announced on social media.
The cause of death was not given. She was 43.
"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton. A 10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time," the WNBA shared on X.
Braxton was drafted No. 7 overall in the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock. She was named to the WNBA All-Rookie team in 2005 and an All-Star in '07. She won championships in 2006 and '08 with Detroit.
She was traded to the Mercury in 2010 and played 31 games in Phoenix before being traded to New York in 2011. Braxton started in 18 games and averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Braxton worked for Nike in Oregon after her retirement from professional basketball before moving to the Atlanta area. Her son Jelani Thurman was on the 2024 Ohio State national championship football team. He played tight end.
Braxton is survived by her husband, Jarvis Jackson, and her two sons, Thurman and Jream Jackson.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ex-Phoenix Mercury player, a 2-time WNBA All-Star dead at 43
One of the former top picks in the WNBA Draft has reportedly passed away at the age of 43.
On Sunday it was announced that Kara Braxton, a two-time WNBA champion and All-Star with the Detroit Shock, has died. No cause of death has been given at this time, but the league did share some words on the unfortunate loss of one of its longtime players over the weekend.
Braxton played a decade in the W after starring at Georgia and putting together one of the best prep careers in the history of Oregon high school basketball.
June 3, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; New York Liberty forward Kara Braxton (45) and Indiana Fever center Jessica Davenport (50) battle for position during the second half at the Prudential Center. The Liberty defeated the Fever 87-72. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports© Ed Mulholland-Imagn ImagesWNBA releases statement on Kara Braxton's passingTaking to X on Sunday, the WNBA's official account memorialized Braxton and her tremendous career across five teams.
"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton," the league said. "A 10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time."
It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton.
A 10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time. pic.twitter.com/0I71xWCWfW
Kara starred at Westview High School in Portland, OR where she was ranked the No. 2 player in the nation on the way to leading the Wildcats to a state championship and earning Player of the Year honors.
She then took her talents to Athens, GA where she suited up for the Bulldogs from 2001-2004 and was named the SEC Freshman of the Year before being selected seventh overall by the Shock in the 2005 Draft.
The 6-foot-6 center-forward averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds over the course of her 10-year WNBA career and played a major role in Detroit's success in the mid-to-late aughts.
According to KGW8 News, Braxton is survived by her husband, Jarvis, and twin sister, Kim. She also has two children: Jelani Thurman, who played football at Ohio State, and Jream Jackson.
Sep 5, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Kara Braxton (45) reacts on the court against the Seattle Storm during the first half in game two of the western conference finals in the 2010 WNBA Playoffs at US Airways Center. The Storm defeated the Mercury 91-88. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports© Jennifer Stewart-Imagn ImagesThis story was originally published by The Spun on Feb 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Caitlin Clark has made waves in the WNBA ever since she made her rookie debut in 2024. After two seasons, the Indiana Fever guard has become a household name, starting down the path of astronomical success.
Apart from her growing fame, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star has established great chemistry with some of her Fever teammates along the way. Take for example Sophie Cunningham, who played with Clark in 2025.
In a short span of one year, fans have already started admiring the on-court dynamics between these two. Cunningham garnered a lot of support last June after she avenged Clark with an aggressive foul against the Connecticut Sun. Reacting to the incident, she later said, "I'm going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do."
While Clark remains under contract with the Fever, Cunningham's future as her teammate looks uncertain for now. She is an unrestricted free agent after her contract with the Fever expired following the 2025 season. However, she has expressed strong feelings to return to Indiana.
Indiana Fever guards Caitlin Clark (right) and Sophie Cunningham.Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesWhen it comes to their bond, Cunningham adores Clark, and it becomes evident from their social media interactions. Recently, Cunningham appeared as a guest on the episode of "Like a Farmer" podcast with host Pat Spinosa. During the interaction, she was asked to share her favorite story about Clark.
In her response, Cunningham revealed an interesting detail about Clark's actual personality away from the basketball court where she usually dominates her opponents. In front of cameras, the Fever guard looks like a perfect celebrity figure. But Cunningham seems something else in her.
"First of all, I think she is such a normal human," Cunningham said. "She truly is, she loves ball. But my favorite story? I don't even know if I have a favorite story, but she's just a big old dork." She admitted how she didn't have a clue about Clark when she first met her. But later, she was impressed by her goofy, humble nature.
"You kind of go in and you don't know what to expect because she's a generational player. She has all this attention and carries it all so well. And I promise you, she's the biggest dork you'll ever meet. And so I just love her, love her whole vibe," Cunningham said.
That being said, it will be intriguing to see if Cunningham makes a comeback to Fever and reunites with Clark during the 2026 WNBA season. The season is set to begin May 8, but that date is contingent upon the league and players association negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.
Related: Sophie Cunningham Reacts to Caitlin Clark Missing the Top 10 of Most-Searched Athletes
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2025 WNBA season may not have gone well for the Dallas Wings in the standings, but the team's guard and Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers successfully marked her arrival in the W. The former UConn star averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, thus proving herself as the league's future icon.
Bueckers is currently competing in the three-on-three Unrivaled. She made her debut in the league earlier this year for Breeze BC. Thanks to Paige's on-court magic, the team has qualified for the playoffs while securing the fourth spot in the standings.
The Wings guard is currently the third best scorer in Unrivaled, averaging 23.7 points, along with 6.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. But it's not just basketball action that's kept the 24-year-old in limelight lately.
Paige Bueckers reacts after being selected with the number one overall pick to the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards.© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesBueckers recently shared a post on her Instagram. It had a carousel of pictures from her photoshoot for an ad film. Bueckers was part of luxury brand Coach's new campaign called "Explore Your Story".
Sharing her experience from the ad campaign, Bueckers simply wrote, "That Coach shoot in London I once talked about." She clearly seems to be enjoying her offseason period in the best way possible amid the uncertainties lingering over the next WNBA season.
At the moment, the player's association and the league are yet to reach a common ground over the collective bargaining agreement. The next deadline for a possible solution is March 10, to prevent any unexpected delay.
While there is a possibility of cancelation of the 2026 WNBA season, Bueckers believes there's no need to worry. Speaking to Elle as part of her Coach campaign, the Wings guard made it clear that "there’ll be a season.”
Related: Paige Bueckers Draws Attention for What She Did During Unrivaled Game
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The WNBA is growing at a rapid pace and the recent announcement made by the union leadership made it evident. On Monday, it was revealed that the league made enough revenue during the 2025 season to trigger revenue sharing among its players. As a result, all teams are going to get a big collective payout, including the Los Angeles Sparks, co-owned by former NBA and LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
According to ESPN's Katie Barnes, the WNBA generated profit for the first time ever during the course of last season. After the arrival of players like Caitlin Clark, the league has witnessed a spike in popularity over the last two years.
Now, all 13 league teams will receive $8 million each to disperse among their players who were active throughout last season. After the update went viral on social media, it caught the attention of Johnson.
Magic Johnson attends the 2024 NWSL Championship match at CPKC Stadium.© Denny Medley-Imagn Images"As one of the owners of the LA Sparks, this is great news for the players, owners and the WNBA!" Johnson posted in an Instagram story on Wednesday. He was reacting to a post by Revolt Sports on the league's financial success in 2025. Johnson became a co-owner of the Sparks in 2014 alongside Mark Walter.
This disbursement of profits follows more good news for WNBA players on league revenue. As reported by the ESPN, the union announced Sunday that it will give a total of “$9.25 million to players from licensing revenue generated since 2020 from jersey sales, trading cards, video games and other merchandise” by June 1.
The next WNBA season is currently set to start on May 8, but a collective bargaining agreement has yet to be agreed upon between the league and the players association.
According to ESPN, the league has set a March 10 deadline for the WNPBA to agree on a new CBA to keep the 2026 schedule intact.
Related: NBA Legend Magic Johnson Reacts to Passing of Dear Friend
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Two-time WNBA champion Kara Braxton died after being in a car crash in Atlanta on Saturday. She was 43.
The athletic department at Georgia, where Braxton played in college, texted The Associated Press confirmation of her death on Monday and posted on social media. Her son, Jelani Thurman, posted a photo of his younger self in his mother's jersey on social media and wrote that he we will miss his “queen.”
Braxton last played in the WNBA in 2014 while finishing up a four-year stint with New York. She won two titles with the Detroit Shock in 2006 and 2008.
She celebrated her birthday last week.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton,” the league said on social media on Sunday night. “A 10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and former teammates at this time.”
The 6-foot-6 Braxton was drafted by Detroit with the seventh pick in 2005. She earned All-Rookie honors that season after averaging 6.9 points and 3.0 rebounds.
She played half of a season with the franchise when it moved to Tulsa in 2010 before getting traded to Phoenix for the second half of the year.
Braxton then played the first 18 games in Phoenix in 2011 before being acquired by New York. She played with the Liberty until 2014 when she was waived after playing four games.
“We mourn the loss of Kara Braxton, a former Liberty player whose presence and passion left a lasting impact on our organization and the women's game,” the Liberty posted on social media.
Braxton was SEC Freshman of the Year for Georgia in 2002.
Thurman played football for Ohio State and won a national championship with the Buckeyes in 2024. He has since transferred to North Carolina.
Braxton is also survived by her husband Jarvis Jackson and their young son Jream.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Caitlin Clark has endured a mixed start to her WNBA career. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft immediately lived up to the hype, leading the Indiana Fever as a rookie with 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. She also topped the league in assists and earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors while helping Indiana reach its first playoff berth since 2016.
However, her 2025 campaign was marred by recurring injuries, including a left quadriceps strain and a right groin injury. These setbacks limited her to just 13 games and ultimately ruled her out for the remainder of the season.
Clark has been rebuilding toward full health and is preparing for her third WNBA season, with hopes of being fully healthy should the league resume in May as planned.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).© Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesWhile Clark has not played a WNBA game since July due to injury, she has continued to dominate headlines with high-profile appearances, brand collaborations and a massive social media presence. Her visibility off the court has helped elevate both her personal profile and interest in women’s basketball globally.
On Thursday, Clark made another splash outside of basketball, attending the Prada Fall/Winter 2026/2027 show during Milan Fashion Week in Italy. The event is one of the most anticipated events of the fashion calendar where global celebrities and cultural figures gather for runway presentations from one of the world’s leading designers.
Clark’s return to meaningful basketball action is expected to begin with Team USA, as she and fellow star Paige Bueckers were named to the senior national roster for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament scheduled March 11-17 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Following international play, she could make her much-anticipated return to the WNBA when the Fever open the 2026 season against Bueckers and the Dallas Wings on May 9, provided CBA negotiations allow the league to start on schedule.
Related: Caitlin Clark Reacts to Former Iowa Teammate’s Engagement Announcement
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.