By Mallory Mattingly
After fourteen years in the WNBA, Tina Charles has decided to hang her jersey up one last time.
On Tuesday, the 37-year-old announced on X, “It was all a dream, that’s the thought that keeps finding me. That, and deep gratitude. God has covered my life in ways I can’t fully put into words, and by His grace and mercy, I’ve been able to live out something bigger than I ever imagined.”
It was all a dream.. pic.twitter.com/YtComVxYYN
— Tina Charles (@tinacharles31) May 5, 2026
Related: WNBA Guard Gets Baptized Again: ‘Thank You, Jesus’
Charles will end her career with “8,396 career regular-season points to go along with 4,262 rebounds,” according to Sports Spectrum.
The center grew up in Queens, New York, where basketball wasn’t just a game but a “language, a rhythm, its survival, its expression.”
“It pulled me in early, and I gave myself fully to it. It shaped me into the woman I am today and for that, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Charles wrote in the statement. “At some point, you have to edit your life. Not everything and not everyone is meant for the whole journey. Growth requires honesty, and for me, that meant recognizing when my impact was being called in a new direction. That’s not failure, that’s clarity. I’m at peace with this decision, aligned with what l’m being called to do next, making space for someone else to step in and grow the way I once did.”
She went on to thank all those who have paved the way for her successful career in the WNBA.
“To the programs that shaped me, NY Gazelles, Liberty Belles, Christ the King, and UConn, this is where my discipline was sharpened, my standard was defined, and my purpose was strengthened,” she said.
Faith played a key role in Charles’ career. Last summer, she told Ballers Magazine how she learned about Jesus at an Athletes in Action meeting.
“My faith is everything for me,” she told the magazine. “Athletes in Action was on our campus, and Maya Moore was a part of it. I had another teammate, Kaili McLaren [as well]. I went to the camp, and I was really able to learn how to make Jesus my motivation for my sport, so just giving thanks to Him for the blessings that I have. Once I accepted Christ — that was in 2009 — every time I took the floor my junior and senior year, that’s when I started to turn the corner. I just kept saying to myself: ‘I’m playing for Him. I’m playing for an audience of One.'”
“That was my motivation out there. That was the reason why I was going hard. That was the reason why my effort was what it was. That’s why I wanted to get in the gym because it was just my way of glorifying God when I was out there playing. That’s when things started turning for me my last two years at UConn,” she emphasized.
Though Charles’ time in the WNBA is over, she leaves behind a legacy of faith and gratitude.
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