Every time Jelani Thurman steps onto the field wearing No. 45, he carries a piece of his mother with him. The North Carolina Tar Heels tight end chose the number to honor his late mother, Kara Braxton, the former Detroit Shock star and a two-time WNBA Champion whose memory has remained close to him.
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Braxton, 43, died on February 21 after a solo car crash on I-285 in the Atlanta area. Police said her vehicle drifted out of its lane and struck a concrete median. For Thurman, Braxton was the reason he chased sports in the first place, pushing him with the same competitive standard she carried through a decade in the WNBA.
Thurman posted a tribute to his mother on his Instagram story the day the news broke, writing “Imma miss my queen.” He also revisited comments he had made about her back in 2024 during his Ohio State days. “Man, she taught me always go hard,” Thurman said, according to Matthew Davis of Heavy.com. “There’s one goal, you know what you need to go to do.”
Thurman transferred from Ohio State to North Carolina in January, a month before her death. As he enters the 2026 season, wearing the number (No. 45) his mother wore for years with the Shock has become his way of keeping her present every time he takes the field.
That connection to his mother has also come as Thurman begins a new chapter on the field. Though he struggled to find consistent playing time at Ohio State, Thurman finished with 13 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns across 34 games in three seasons.
But the move to North Carolina has given him a much bigger opportunity. In his Tar Heels debut against the TCU Horned Frogs in Dublin on August 29, Thurman caught four passes for 94 yards, surpassing his previous single-season records in one game.
Meanwhile, Braxton built her own legacy long before her son even put on pads. The Shock drafted her seventh overall in 2005, and she immediately made the All-Rookie team that year.
She helped Detroit win two WNBA titles in 2006 and 2008, playing alongside Deanna Nolan and Katie Smith under coach Bill Laimbeer. She earned her only All-Star selection in 2007. Across a 10-year career with Detroit, Tulsa, Phoenix, and New York, Braxton averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Now, Thurman wishes to carry that legacy with him in 2026, hoping to make his own mark in Chapel Hill while keeping his mother’s memory close to him.
Jelani Thurman Emerges as UNC’s Breakout Offensive Weapon in Season Opener
North Carolina did not have to wait long to see what Jelani Thurman could bring to its offense. The Ohio State transfer quickly became a go-to target for Billy Edwards Jr., finishing his Tar Heels debut with 94 yards on four catches against TCU.
“I’m truly grateful,” Thurman said, according to Jack Morris of On3. “Being able to come in here and fit the offense, be a key player in the offense, be a highlighted player in the offense, and be able to catch some balls from Billy. And to be coached by one of some of the best coaches in the game, I mean, I can’t complain. It’s good football. I’m ready to play.”
Thurman’s debut gave North Carolina an early glimpse of what its revamped offense can look like with a reliable tight end in the mix. With 55 snaps and eight targets against TCU, he quickly established himself as a key option for Edwards Jr. If that connection continues, Thurman could become one of the Tar Heels’ most important offensive pieces as the 2026 season moves forward.