American basketball player Tina Charles, 37, has announced her retirement from the WNBA, ending a 16-year career in which she became the all-time leading rebounder (4,262 rebounds) and second all-time scorer in WNBA (8,396 points). Despite that, as well as being chosen WNBA MVP in 2012, when she played for Connecticut Sun, as well as being chosen eight times in the WNBA All-Star, the New Yorker never appeared in a WNBA Final.
"At some point, you have to edit your life" Charles said in a statement. "Growth requires honesty, and for me, that meant recognising when my impact was being called in a new direction."
Charles did won dozens of individual awards in the WNBA and also in Turkey and Poland, as she also played for Galatasaray Medical Park, Fenerbahçe, Wisła Can-Pack Kraków and even in China, the Sichuan Whales, Beijing Great Wall and Hebei Win Power.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that Tina Charles "has defined excellence and consistency throughout one of the most remarkable careers in WNBA history. From earning unanimous Rookie of the Year honors to being named league MVP, to becoming the WNBA's all-time leading rebounder and second all-time leading scorer, Tina's impact on the game will be felt for generations to come."
WNBA 2026 season begins on May 9, its 30th season, and salaries have multiplied for all players as the league prepares to expand.
