Report: Tina Charles, Sun Agree to WNBA Contract After Thomas, Carrington Trades
February 2, 2025
The Connecticut Sun signed eight-time All-Star Tina Charles on Sunday, according to ESPN's Alexa Philippou.
Alexa Philippou @alexaphilippouBreaking: 8x WNBA All-Star and three-time Olympian Tina Charles is signing with the Connecticut Sun, sources told ESPN<br><br>Charles returns to the franchise that first drafted her No. 1 overall in 2010, where she spent the first four seasons of her career and won MVP in 2012 <a href="https://t.co/tFwTqpxO9b">pic.twitter.com/tFwTqpxO9b</a>
Per Philippou, Charles is signing a one-year deal with the team that she started her WNBA career with in 2010.
It's been a busy offseason for the Sun, as they sent DiJonai Carrington and the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft to the Dallas Wings on Saturday. They also previously traded Alyssa Thomas and Ty Harris to the Phoenix Mercury.
Thomas and Harris were sent to the Mercury in exchange for Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen and the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Connecticut then packaged the No. 12 selection with Carrington in order to land Jacy Sheldon, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 draft, as well as the No. 8 selection in the 2025 draft.
As for Charles, the former MVP will now return to the team that she last played for in 2013.
"Today marks an incredible moment in our team's history as we welcome back one of the greatest players to every grace the WNBA," Sun General Manager Morgan Tuck said, per the team's official website. "Tina not only helped define the success of this franchise during her early years, but she also set the bar for excellence, both on and off the court. Her passion, leadership, and dedication to the game have left an incredible mark on our league, and we couldn't be more excited to have her return to the team where it all began."
Charles is one of the most accomplished players in WNBA history, sitting at No. 1 on the league's all-time rebounding leaderboard. She's also No. 2 on the league's all-time scoring list, only trailing 11-time All-Star Diana Taurasi.
The 36-year-old may not perform at the same level compared to her All-Star days, but Charles has proven that she can still be a key starter. In 39 appearances with the Atlanta Dream in 2024, she averaged 14.9 points and 9.6 rebounds in 29.7 minutes per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the field.
As the Sun continue to retool their lineup after coming off a semifinal appearance in the playoffs, they brought back a WNBA icon on Sunday.
