WNBA legend Tina Charles introduced her retirement from basketball on Tuesday by way of her personal X account.
“Today, I officially announce my retirement from basketball.”
“Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game. I’ve experienced the highest highs and lowest lows, and I’m thankful for all of it. Through it all, I learned how to show up. When doubt got loud and narratives were written without me, I kept showing up.”
Charles performed her school basketball at UConn and was the primary total choose within the 2010 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. After 4 years, she joined the New York Liberty, the place she spent most of her profession. Charles opted to take a seat out the 2020 WNBA season after which spent the following few seasons on one-year offers, ending with the Sun for a farewell season in 2025. She averaged 16.3 factors, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per sport in her ultimate marketing campaign.
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The Sun thanked Charles for her contributions to the franchise with an announcement Tuesday morning:
“Connecticut will always be home for Tina Charles, and she will forever be part of the foundation on which our franchise stands. We thank Tina for everything she has given to the Connecticut Sun and to the game of basketball. Her legacy here is permanent, and her influence will be felt for generations to come.
Once a Sun, always a Sun.”
The 37-year-old middle ends her Hall of Fame-worthy profession with 8,396 factors and 4,262 rebounds over 473 video games. Charles has the WNBA file for many profession rebounds and made area targets whereas rating second in profession factors scored, trailing solely Diana Taurasi.
Charles was the 2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year, the 2012 WNBA MVP, an eight-time WNBA All-Star and a three-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA. Leading as much as her retirement, Charles was additionally involved in the recent collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
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Per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, Charles helped create a brand new rule concerning the retired participant recognition cost, stating, “if a retired player is deceased, their beneficiary should receive the payment.”