WNBA all-time leading rebounder Tina Charles retires from basketball
NBC Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- Tina Charles, the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder and second all-time scorer, announced her retirement after a 15-year professional career, highlighted by eight All-Star selections and MVP honors in 2012.
- Drafted first overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2010, Charles also played for New York, Washington, Phoenix, Seattle, and Atlanta, and helped the U.S. win three Olympic gold medals and three World Cup championships.
- Despite her personal and team successes, Charles never played in a WNBA Finals, but she expressed gratitude for her career and excitement for future endeavors beyond basketball.
- Off the court, Charles founded Hopey’s Heart Foundation in 2013, donating over 500 automated external defibrillators to combat sudden cardiac arrest, inspired by personal family losses and stories from the basketball community.
- WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert praised Charles for her leadership, community impact, and legacy as both an outstanding player and a committed humanitarian.
