Connecticut’s Tina Charles retires from pro basketball

Connecticut’s Tina Charles drives to the basket against Dallas last season in Uncasville.

A year ago, three-time Olympic gold medal champion Tina Charles was the best player on the floor for the Connecticut Sun, starting a career-high 42 games and averaging 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds at the age of 36.

In her 15th season in the WNBA, she was a teacher and role model for a young Sun team rebuilding after the departure of their entire starting lineup from the season before.

Now 37, Charles retired from professional basketball on Tuesday in a post shared on social media.

“It was all a dream. That’s the thought that keeps finding me — that and deep gratitude,” Charles wrote on her Instagram account. “Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game. I’ve experienced the highest highs and the 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 about me, I kept showing up.

Charles, a 6-foot-4 center, was the No. 1 pick by Connecticut in 2010 after winning back-to-back NCAA championships with UConn. She was the league MVP in 2012 and rookie of the year in 2010. She will leave the WNBA as the leader in career rebounds (4,262) and field goals made (3,364) and second in scoring (8,396) behind Diana Taurasi (10,646).

She played four seasons with the Sun before getting traded to New York in 2014 – a deal that brought a young Alyssa Thomas to Connecticut. Charles spent six seasons with the Liberty before stints with Washington, Seattle, Phoenix and Atlanta before coming back to the Sun last season.

“From 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,” the Sun said in a prepared statement. “Today, we celebrate Tina — an extraordinary athlete and pillar of the Connecticut community — on an incredible basketball journey that began and fittingly concluded here in Connecticut.

“It has been one of the greatest honors in our organization’s history to have Tina start and end her professional career in a Sun uniform,” the statement from the team said. “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.

“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,” the statement from the Sun concluded.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert also issued a statement.

“Tina Charles has defined excellence and consistency throughout one of the most remarkable careers in WNBA history,” Engelbert said. “Tina’s impact on the game will be felt for generations to come.

“Beyond her extraordinary accomplishments, Tina has represented the very best of the WNBA throughout her career. Through her leadership and dedication to giving back – including her work with her Hopey’s Heart Foundation – she has made a meaningful impact far beyond the game, earning the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award twice.”

In 2025, Charles reached a powerful milestone in her community work, placing the 500th Automated External Defibrillator (AED) through her Hopey’s Heart Foundation.

What began as a personal mission has grown into a life-saving legacy, fueled by her determination to ensure schools, recreation centers, and communities across the country have access to critical resources.

Charles founded the Hopey’s Heart Foundation in 2013 in honor of her late aunt, Maureen “Hopey” Vaz, to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and provide AEDs to organizations in need.

Hopey’s Heart remains a family-run foundation, with Charles and her loved ones dedicating countless hours to outreach, research, education, and fundraising.

Charles’ impact extends beyond Hopey’s Heart. In 2012, she personally funded the construction of a school in Mali, opening educational opportunities for hundreds of children. In New York City, Charles launched Hopey’s Week, a series of sports safety clinics focused on concussion prevention and injury awareness. She has also been a vocal advocate for racial and social justice, using her platform to elevate community voices and push for systemic change.

“Tina Charles exemplifies what it means to be a leader both on and off the court,” said Dawn Staley, currently the head coach at South Carolina, when the Dawn Staley Community Leadership award was presented to Charles last fall. “This award signifies the lasting legacy that leadership leaves behind. Tina embodies the values and hard work that continue to inspire her teammates, fellow athletes, fans, and members of her community.”

“Her legacy will be defined not only by her excellence on the court, but by the standard she set as a leader, a teammate, and a champion for the communities she touched,” Engelbert said.