Tina Charles is Choosing Athletes Unlimited to Continue Her Basketball Legacy
At 36 years old with 13 years of WNBA experience and three Olympic Games under her belt, Tina Charles is still making new strides in her career, and she’s not slowing down. Following her most productive offensive WNBA season in four years, she plans to return to the league in 2026.
And as for what she’ll be doing in the offseason to keep sharp? She’ll be in Nashville competing for the Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball crown.
“Athletes Unlimited was the right fit for me right now,” Charles explained. “I wanted to stay with the 5-on-5 format, and just the players that have went through there, and just their response to the camaraderie, the friendships that they’ve made, the hospitality, and just being taken care of, was just what I wanted to experience.”
The three-time Olympic gold medalist spoke extensively with Alysha Clark and Lexie Brown about their experiences, was inspired by former AU competitor Natasha Cloud’s enthusiasm, and seeing respected WNBA players like Elizabeth Williams and Kia Stokes join the AU ranks made the decision feel natural.
“The excitement from Natasha Cloud, you know, she’s such a big influence on the court and off the court,” Charles recalled. “And so to hear her speak about it, to see her play in it, seeing how Allisha Gray and just the corner that she has turned in her career–jump-started from Athletes Unlimited.”
Charles was also intrigued by AU’s unique player-driven format, along with additional factors that checked the boxes for her.
“The type of format that AU poses and just how it makes it always competitive, and players are always engaged because of that format, that it’s player-driven,” she noted. “I think that’s really neat, you know, something that I’ve never been a part of, nor have I seen on men’s or women’s side.”
Charles’ decision to join AU comes on the heels of her most productive offensive season in four years with the Connecticut Sun, the team that drafted her first overall in 2010. This past season, she averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 43 appearances. She also surpassed Diana Taurasi for the most field goals in WNBA history during the 2025 season, became the second player ever to reach 8,000 career points, and became the first player in the league to reach 200 career double-doubles.
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And Charles is not the only AU player who will benefit from her participation. She brings the kind of veteran leadership that can elevate the young players around her. She’s particularly excited about the opportunity to share her experience with rising stars like Bree Hall, Deja Kelly, and Te-Hina Paopao.
“I know I’ll be one of the oldest players there. So how can I help these players have fruitful careers like I’ve had? Help them see the game differently, help them either way, on the court or off the court, with the way I approach things?” she said.
Charles credits much of her career longevity to understanding how her role evolves with different teams and situations.
“Your role changes as teams change. So just understanding what my role is on different teams, I think that was extremely helpful, and just being a voice in a locker room, and just being a good teammate.”
After spending 12 of her 15 professional seasons playing overseas, Charles is embracing the opportunity to compete domestically. The chance for her family to easily attend games holds special significance, particularly for her mother, who has never visited Nashville.
“I love being home,” Charles said. “To still be able to accomplish things that I do off the court, to have family be able to come out to Nashville and watch me play just as they did during the WNBA, I think that’s even more exciting.”
Charles will compete for Hopey’s Heart Foundation as part of the AU Athlete Causes program, powered by Give Lively and the Give Lively Foundation, which makes a grant equal to 100% of the athlete’s end-of-season win bonus to the non-profit of the athlete’s choice. The foundation was established in memory of her late aunt Maureen “Hopey” Vaz, who died of multiple organ failure in March 2013.
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Through quarterly grant programs, Charles’ foundation provides life-saving equipment to schools and recreational centers nationally, focusing on preventing sudden cardiac arrest from claiming the lives of student athletes.
“Since starting, we’ve been able to save one life with the placement of our AED (automated external defibrillators),” she noted proudly.
For Charles, AU represents both a strategic career move and an opportunity to give back to the sport that has given her so much. She views the experience as preparation for her return to the WNBA for her 14th season in 2026, while also hoping to elevate AU’s profile through her participation.
“On my way out, just to be able to keep this league upheld … For other players that want to come in to see how it’s going to be helpful to my career going into the next WNBA season,” she explained.
At this stage of her career, Charles has learned that success isn’t always measured in individual accolades. Sometimes it’s about finding the right environment to compete, mentor, and continue pursuing excellence while staying true to the values and causes that matter most. Those are sentiments she also hopes to pass on to the next generation.
“The grind goes unnoticed, but the results don’t,” she said. I don’t know when it’ll be all said and done for me playing, but I just definitely wanted to take advantage of having a league at home and just play.”
In Nashville this February, surrounded by decorated veterans of the game and the next generation of basketball talent while supporting a cause close to her heart, that’s exactly what she’ll get.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
