One of the most celebrated players in WNBA history is calling it a career.

Tina Charles, the league's all-time leading rebounder, announced her retirement from professional basketball on Tuesday.

She revealed her decision on social media after a 15-year WNBA career that includes winning the 2012 league MVP with five All-WNBA first-team selections and four All-WNBA second-team picks.

Her 4,262 rebounds are more than any other player in WNBA history and her 8,396 points are second-most in the league behind Diana Taurasi.

The 37-year-old centre also helped the United States win three Olympic gold medals and she won consecutive NCAA women's championships for UConn in 2009 and 2010.

"Today, I officially announce my retirement from basketball. Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game," Charles wrote in her post. "I've experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, and I'm thankful for all of it. Through it all, I learned how to show up. When doubt got loud and narratives were written about me, I kept showing up. That's the New Yorker in me, where resilience is built, not talked about."

 

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Thank you for an incredible journey, Tina Charles pic.twitter.com/rE1JhUzcCA

— WNBA (@WNBA) May 5, 2026

Drafted first overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2010, Charles unanimously won that year's Rookie of the Year Award. The following season, she made her first of eight All-Star teams.

After three seasons with the Sun, Charles was dealt to the New York Liberty in a blockbuster trade in 2013. She spent seven seasons with the Liberty and after sitting out the 2020 WNBA bubble season, she played for Washington, Phoenix, Seattle and Atlanta before returning to the Sun in 2025.

She started 42 of 43 games for Connecticut last season, averaging a team-high 16.3 points with 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

A four-time All-Defensive team selection, Charles finishes with career averages of 17.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists, but despite all her success, she never appeared in the WNBA Finals.

"Tina Charles has defined excellence and consistency throughout one of the most remarkable careers in WNBA history," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. "From earning unanimous Rookie of the Year honors to being named league MVP, to becoming the WNBA's all-time leading rebounder and second all-time leading scorer, Tina's impact on the game will be felt for generations to come."