Congratulations are in order for former University of Connecticut women’s basketball standout Tina Charles, who became a “Sun Legend” on Tuesday as part of a ceremony held by the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Charles had her No. 31 put up in the rafters alongside other “Sun Legends,” meaning that the number is now retired.
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This is the final season for the Sun in Connecticut, as they will be moving to Houston next year.
Here’s more of what you need to know about the former Huskies standout.
A four-year standout from Jamaica, N.Y., Charles played for head coach Geno Auriemma from 2006-10. She played in 152 career games with the Huskies, averaging 15.4 ppg and nine rebounds. She also averaged two blocks a contest.
With the Huskies, she accumulated a laundry list of accomplishments, including:
–Four-time All-Big East selection
–Three-time Associated Press All-American
–2-time NCAA All-Region team
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–Big East Player of the Year (2009-10)
–Associated Press Player of the Year (2009-10)
Former Connecticut Sun player Tina Charles with president of the Connecticut Sun Jennifer Rizzotti as she is honored as a Connecticut Sun Legend before the start of the game against the Chicago Sky at Mohegan Sun Arena. David Butler II-Imagn Images
In addition to her individual awards, she also helped UConn win back-to-back national championships in her junior and senior seasons.
UConn beat Louisville in the national title game when she was a junior before beating Stanford when she was a senior.
Charles was the No. 1 pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft. She is one of seven former Huskies to have that distinction, including Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd.
Now 37 years old, Charles spent 15 years in the WNBA with six teams. She played the first four years of her career with the Sun before spending six with the New York Liberty. She also played for the Washington Mystics, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream. She played the last year of her career (2025) in Connecticut again, coming full circle.
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In total, she was a nine-time All-WNBA selection, an eight-time All-Star, a four-time rebounding champion, a four-time All-Defensive team selection, a two-time scoring champion, an MVP (2012) and a Rookie of the Year (2010).
She averaged 17.8 ppg and is the league’s all-time leading rebounder.
Charles won three gold medals at the Olympics (2012, 2016 and 2020).
Bueckers recently made history with her huge performance on Sunday night. The second-year player is the reigning league Rookie of the Year. She plays for the Dallas Wings, as does Fudd.
