Eight-time WNBA All-Star and three-time Olympian Tina Charles signed a one-year deal with the Connecticut Sun as a free agent Sunday.
With the move, Charles returns to the franchise that drafted her No. 1 overall in 2010, where she spent the first four seasons of her career and won league MVP in 2012.
"Today marks an incredible moment in our team's history as we welcome back one of the greatest players to ever grace the WNBA," Sun general manager Morgan Tuck said in a statement. "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.
"This is a full-circle moment that strengthens our foundation and inspires the next generation of players and fans alike. We are extremely excited for this next chapter of Connecticut Sun history with Tina back in a Sun uniform."
Charles, a nine-time All-WNBA selection and three-time all-defensive team pick, has averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game across her storied career. She tops the league's career rebounding list with 4,014 boards and is second in scoring with 7,696 points, behind only fellow former UConn star Diana Taurasi.
A two-time champion at UConn and former national player of the year, Charles is widely regarded as one of the best players in women's basketball history. She won three Olympic gold medals in London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2021) with USA Basketball and was named to the WNBA's 25th anniversary team in 2021.
After beginning her pro career in Connecticut, Charles spent her next six WNBA seasons with the New York Liberty before stints with the Washington Mystics, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm and most recently the Atlanta Dream in 2024.
Charles joins a new-look Sun team that has turned over its entire starting five in the offseason: Brionna Jones (Atlanta) and DeWanna Bonner (Indiana) left as unrestricted free agents, Alyssa Thomas was designated as a core player and traded to Phoenix, and Ty Harris and DiJonai Carrington were traded to Dallas. The team also recently hired coach Rachid Meziane to replace Stephanie White, who departed for the Fever.
The Sun, who still have Marina Mabrey under contract, acquired Natasha Cloud, Jacy Sheldon and the No. 8 pick in 2025 in the four-team trade that sent Thomas to Phoenix. Connecticut also received Rebecca Allen in the deal, but sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday that there's another trade set to occur that would send Allen to the Chicago Sky for Lindsay Allen and the rights to Nikolina Milic.
Charles was traded from Connecticut ahead of the 2014 draft to her hometown team, the Liberty, a deal that eventually led to the Sun drafting Thomas fourth overall.