Tina Charles has called time on one of the great careers in New York basketball history.
The former Liberty star announced her retirement in a heartfelt Instagram post on Tuesday morning after 14 seasons in the WNBA.
“It was all a dream,” Charles, 37, began her retirement message to her many fans. “Today, I officially announce my retirement from basketball. Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game. I’ve experienced the highest highs and 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 without me, I kept showing up.”
Charles had previously contemplated retirement, even sitting out the 2023 season to take a break from the league.
The 2012 league MVP while with the Connecticut Sun, Charles was a 10-time All-Star selection and is the all-time leading rebounder in league history. Charles, a New York City native, spent six seasons with the Liberty before getting traded in 2020.
“Tina’s achievements, consistency and competitiveness set her apart as one of the greatest players of this era,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. “We are forever grateful for her time in New York, proud of all she accomplished in a Liberty uniform and honored to celebrate a career that stands among the very best the game has ever seen.”
Charles also starred at the college level, winning back-to-back national titles at UConn with coach Geno Auriemma in 2009 and 2010, and was a Wooden Award winner.
Charles finished her career in 2025 where it all began with the Sun, who drafted her No. 1 overall in 2010. Last season, she averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 28.4 minutes per game.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert praised Charles upon her retirement.
“Tina Charles has defined excellence and consistency throughout one of the most remarkable careers in WNBA history,” Engelbert said in a statement. “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.”
Engelbert continued that Charles was an exemplary person off the court, as well.
“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. On behalf of the WNBA, I want to thank Tina for her lasting contributions to the league and the sport of basketball. 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.”
Charles will be eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2031, where she will likely be a first-ballot inductee.
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