Everything felt a little surreal for Tina Charles as she sat down for her introductory news conference Wednesday following her signing with the Connecticut Sun.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," she said, chuckling.
Charles signed a one-year deal this weekend to return to the Sun, the team that drafted her first overall in 2010 and with which she spent the first four seasons of her career. Connecticut welcomed her back with open arms, with general manager Morgan Tuck calling Charles "one of not only the best players that's played in a Connecticut Sun uniform, but also in the league as a whole."
"Connecticut is home," said Charles, who also spent her collegiate years in Connecticut, winning a pair of national championships with the UConn Huskies. "When the opportunity came around for me to potentially return back to Connecticut, it was a no-brainer."
Tuck lauded Charles' "commitment to the game."
"It's hard to play for 13 years, but also have the impact that she's had, not only on other WNBA players, different players all over the world, but also people like me that grew up watching her and looked up to her as well," Tuck said.
The 6-foot-4 forward leads the league in all-time rebounds and double-doubles while coming in second in all-time scoring behind fellow former UConn great Diana Taurasi.
Charles, who spent last season with the Atlanta Dream, is the Sun's major free-agent signing this offseason following a period of roster overhaul. All five starters from 2024 (including franchise stalwart Alyssa Thomas) have departed, either via trade or signing as free agents with other franchises. In addition to adding Charles, the Sun traded for Natasha Cloud, Jacy Sheldon and Lindsay Allen and signed Diamond DeShields. They also have Marina Mabrey and Olivia Nelson-Ododa still under contract.
Tuck and new coach Rachid Meziane met with Charles in Istanbul, where she is competing for Fenerbahçe, when negotiations started to share their vision for the team.
Meziane, the former Belgian national team coach who also has coached extensively in France, was a surprising hire to some around the league. But Charles -- who has played all over the world, including in three Olympics -- said she looks forward to playing for him.
"I think it's going to be great to have an international coach," Charles said. "The beauty of our game, we've had so many amazing international players, the list goes on, and without them, the WNBA would not be standing in the way that it has. So to have a different mind, a different look, I think it's going to land greatly within our league and definitely be appreciated."
Charles, 36, is entering her 14th season in the league. Knowing she has more years playing behind her than ahead, she spoke Wednesday of bringing veteran leadership to a new-look squad and helping bolster the team's culture. She is embracing the opportunity to "build on something new" with the Sun, she said, and wants to win both on and off the court.
But as Tuck quipped, "We didn't just bring her back to be a mentor. She's 36 but we know what she can do on the court, and so we need that as well."
After not appearing in the WNBA in 2023, Charles had a strong return in 2024, averaging 14.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in Atlanta while recording 21 double-doubles.
And she said Wednesday that she has plenty left in the tank for 2025, and maybe beyond, that she hopes to bring to Connecticut.
"When I think about the longevity of my career and just the future, I'm just staying present. God willing, I can keep going," Charles said. "I have a passion for this game, and just to be back into a Connecticut uniform, I have a passion for this state. I have a passion for this organization. A team that believed in me first, an organization that believed in me first, and to be around towards the end, it doesn't get any better than that."