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Tina Charles has announced her retirement from basketball after a 15-year career. She reflected on her journey, expressing gratitude for the game and its impact on her life.
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After a Hall of Fame-worthy career, Tina Charles announced her retirement from basketball on Tuesday.
āFifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game. Iāve experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, and Iām thankful for all of it,ā she wrote on social media. āThis game gave me everything, and Iāll miss it deeply.ā
A native of Queens, New York, Charles attended the legendary Christ The King High School and arrived at UConn in the class of 2006. Over her four years in Storrs, she helped the Huskies become the first (and only) team to complete back-to-back undefeated campaigns in 2009 and 2010.
As a senior, Charles took home the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy as well as AP and USBWA National Player of the Year honors. She was also a two-time WBCA All-American and a consensus selection in 2010. Charles departed as the programās all-time leading scorer (2,346 points) and rebounder (1,367). She still holds the latter mark but now ranks fifth on the scoring list.
Charles went No. 1 in the 2010 WNBA Draft to the Connecticut Sun and promptly won the leagueās Rookie of the Year award. She went on to spend the next four years with the franchise, capturing MVP honors in 2012.
āFrom the moment Tina Charles stepped onto the court as the first overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft, she set a standard of excellence that would define not only her career, but our franchise as well,ā the Sun said in a statement.
In 2014, Charles joined the New York Liberty and played six seasons with her hometown team. She sat out the 2020 bubble campaign but returned in 2021 to suit up for the Washington Mystics. Charles made the last of her eight All-Star appearances during her year in the nationās capital.
She split the 2022 campaign between the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm then didnāt play in the WNBA the following year. She rejoined the league in 2024 with the and then finished her career in the same place it started, signing with the Connecticut Sun for 2025.
Tina Charles won the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, and was a two-time WBCA All-American, finishing her college career as UConn's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
Tina Charles announced her retirement on Tuesday, marking the end of her 15-year professional career.
Tina Charles played college basketball at the University of Connecticut (UConn) from 2006 to 2010.
Tina Charles is recognized for her Hall of Fame-worthy career, including leading UConn to back-to-back undefeated seasons and becoming a prominent figure in women's basketball.
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āIt has been one of the greatest honors in our organizationās history to have Tina start and end her professional career in a Sun uniform. Her impact on this franchise is immeasurable. From her dominance in the paint to her relentless work ethic, Tina helped shape the identity of the Connecticut Sun and elevated the standard for everyone who wore this jersey alongside her,ā the Sun wrote in a statement. āConnecticut will always be home for Tina Charles, and she will forever be part of the foundation on which our franchise stands.ā
Charles twice led the league in scoring, earned nine All-WNBA selections and four All-Defensive Team nods. Sheās the leagueās all-time leading rebounder with 4,262 while her 201 double-doubles also rank first. Charles finished with 8,396 points, second-most all-time behind only Diana Taurasi.
On the international stage, she won three Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
Charles is certain to be inducted into the Womenās Basketball and Naismith Memorial Hall of Fames. Once sheās enshrined in Springfield, her No. 31 will be retired by UConn alongside Rebecca Lobo, Swin Cash, Sue Bird and soon, her former teammate Maya Moore.