UNCASVILLE — The end came full circle for Tina Charles. On Sept. 10, 2025, the UConn women's basketball legend played her final WNBA game where it all began: wearing a Connecticut Sun jersey on the court at Mohegan Sun Arena. At the time, no one realized that the Sun's season-ending 88-72 loss to the Atlanta Dream would be Charles' last moment as a professional player. Her retirement announcement on Tuesday caught even her former teammates off guard.
"I was shocked," said Sun guard Saniya Rivers. "She's done a lot for this game. I know I've only been here one year, but she was my vet, so I'm very blessed to have shared a jersey with her. She spoke a lot of words of wisdom into me, a lot of motivation. I'm just blessed to have called her my teammate."
Charles' career is defined by excellence. Selected as the first No. 1 draft pick in Sun history from UConn in 2010, she leaves as the WNBA's all-time leader in rebounds (4,262), double-doubles (201), and made field goals (3,364). She's second all-time in scoring (8,396 points) behind only fellow UConn great Diana Taurasi. Her resume includes the 2012 MVP award, nine All-WNBA selections, eight All-Star appearances, three All-Defensive team honors, three Olympic gold medals, and three World Cup gold medals with Team USA from 2012-20.
"Think of excellence," said Sun general manager Morgan Tuck. "There's only a handful of players that have been as successful as Tina. The fact that she did it over 14, 15 years—that's hard to do. Most people don't make it that long. Any time someone thinks of Tina Charles, whether it's college, pro, overseas, or the Olympics, you're going to think of excellence."
Charles was a perennial All-Star with the Sun from 2010-13 and the New York Liberty from 2014-19, but her later years brought challenges. She was medically excused from the 2020 WNBA season, yet her legacy as one of the game's greatest remains untarnished. For fans and players alike, Charles' career is a testament to what dedication and talent can achieve on the hardwood.