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Hours after agreeing to a “contract divorce” with the Mercury, Tina Charles is set to move on to a potentially impactful role with a top-tier title contender.
Charles, 33, intends to sign a deal with the Storm, according to multiple reports. The news was later confirmed by Em Adler of The Next Hoops.
A marquee free-agent signing by Phoenix this past February, Charles averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in a major role for the struggling Mercury. The club, playing without star Brittney Griner who remains detained overseas, got out to a 6–12 start behind Charles, star guard Skylar Diggins and future Hall of Famer Diana Taurasi.
After playing 33.1 minutes a night in her 16 appearances this season, Charles, an eight-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion (2016, ’21), will now reportedly head to a talented Seattle team with title aspirations. The veteran’s arrival could also lead to a potentially reduced yet still prominent role for Charles in her 12th season.
Led by stars Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart, and another future HOFer in Sue Bird, Seattle (11–6) is poised to make a run for the WNBA title in Bird’s swan song season. The club currently sits in second place in the West behind the 13–3 Aces.
Winners of two of the last four WNBA Finals, the Storm are looking to cement the Bird-Stewart-Loyd era in team lore with another ring. Seattle’s 2018 and ’20 victories were the club’s third and fourth championships, with Bird and Lauren Jackson leading the Storm to the other two wins in ’04 and ’10.
