It’s beginning to look a lot like UConn. As Tina Charles posed with Connecticut Sun general manager Morgan Tuck and team president Jennifer Rizzotti, the three alumnae of the University of Connecticut proudly represented women’s basketball. At present, there is one other UConn alum on the roster, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, but that could easily change between now and the opening of training camp because this is the year of change in the WNBA.
A team that hasn’t seen a lot of change as of yet is the New York Liberty. The notable exceptions are Kayla Thornton, selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft, and Courtney Vandersloot, who is returning to the Chicago Sky.
If things weren’t hectic enough in women’s pro hoops, last week a new name entered the landscape. The UPSHOT League, which describes itself as “a mission-driven movement centered on opportunity,” announced its arrival on the scene. Helmed by former WNBA president Donna Orender, UPSHOT is set to launch and play with an initial four teams in May 2026. League organizers describe it as a “developmental league,” but playing at the same time as the preeminent women’s basketball league will present some challenges.
OK, back to Charles. The Christ the King graduate is not spending this WNBA off-season in the U.S. playing with either Athletes Unlimited or Unrivaled. Instead, she is going the traditional route, taking her talents overseas, playing with Fenerbahçe in Turkey. Connecticut Sun management traveled to Istanbul to discuss Charles’ return to the team that picked her first in the 2010 WNBA Draft and with which she won Rookie of the Year and WNBA MVP (2012).
“I have a passion for this game,” said Charles. “I have a passion for this state. I have passion for this organization, a team that believed in me first, and to be around towards the end [of my career], it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Charles originally played with the Sun from 2010–13, leaving to join the Liberty in 2014. After sitting out the 2020 bubble season, she’s played with several teams, putting up outstanding numbers with the Atlanta Dream in 2024, averaging just shy of a double-double.
“I’m just looking forward to helping this new leadership (new head coach Rachid Meziane), this new team into what’s next,” said Charles. “They’re going into a new chapter.”