Storm sign Tina Charles, who will be available Wednesday vs. first-place Aces
Eight-time WNBA All-Star Tina Charles is switching teams. Charles agreed to a contract divorce — the WNBA's language for a buyout — with the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday and is ready to suit up with the Seattle Storm days later.
Multiple reports stated that the 2012 league MVP had reached an agreement to join the Seattle Storm shortly after the buyout news. The Storm announced the signing on Tuesday and that Charles will be available for their game against the league-leading Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday in Seattle.
“We are excited to add one of the premier players in our league to our roster,” said Storm head coach Noelle Quinn. “Tina is a prolific scorer who brings veteran experience and adds depth to our front court. We look forward to seeing the immediate impact she can make for our team.”
Charles will join her third team in the span of a calendar year. She signed with the Washington Mystics ahead of the 2020 season and the Mercury last offseason, both at discounts as the former MVP chases after her first WNBA championship. Due to circumstances outside of her or the team's control, she never played with former MVP Elena Delle Donne in Washington nor Brittney Griner in Phoenix.
Now she'll play in rotation with center Ezi Magbegor, who is breaking out with a strong season in her third year. Magbegor is third on the Storm in scoring (12.6 ppg), second in rebounding (5.8 rpg), third in minutes (30.3) and top sin field goal percentage (54.1).
The two-time WNBA leading scorer joins 2020 Olympic teammates Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd on a title contender again. Seattle (11-7) is fourth in league standings and three games behind the Aces (14-4).
Charles, Mercury part ways
The Mercury announced the split, calling it a mutual decision. In a statement, Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said, "Our season has not gone according to our plan," which played a role in the decision. The Mercury sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 6-12 record.
The team thanked Charles for her contributions.
Thank you, Tina! pic.twitter.com/SRqCdF77cY
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 25, 2022
In 16 games, Charles is averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Both figures are slightly lower than her career averages.
Charles, 33, signed a one-year deal with the Mercury in February. She was coming off a season in which she led the WNBA in scoring. That performance wasn't out of line with the rest of Charles' career. She's made the All-Star team in each of the four past seasons.
She'll join an 11-6 Storm team with WNBA title aspirations that entered Saturday in second place in the Western Conference behind the 13-3 Las Vegas Aces.
