Since 2017, Tina Charles has been on teams that have fallen below the .500 mark every year. She has been with the Mystics, Mercury, and now the Seattle Storm, who are 17-8 and are undefeated coming out of the All-Star break.
But the winning hasn’t mattered to Charles, as she values the personnel she plays with higher than winning.
“I love playing basketball. So regardless of (the schemes), it’s just more so — the individuals that I’m alongside of. How each of them approach every single practice, caring about every single possession, defensive possession. Just seeing how the coaching staff prepares for the game and makes sure everyone is readily prepared,” Charles said via SB Nation. “I think that’s the beauty of it; I think that’s what the main difference is. You know, what attracted me to Seattle were the players on this team and just their approach and just what’s known about Seattle.”
In the seven games she’s played with Seattle, Charles has averaged 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds on 50.0 percent shooting in those games. While playing alongside standouts like Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd, Charles has remained effective in her new role.
“Tina obviously brings a lot, everyone knows, she’s an amazing player, she’s one of the best players in our league, and the way she can really affect and change a game,” Stewart said. “But, if I’m being completely honest, the thing that she’s brought has just been confidence.”
Charles, a 2012 MVP and eight-time All-Star, has been consistently great even in the later years of her career. She’s embarked on a new challenge of being a role player rather than a headliner. She has only aided the cause for the 17-8 Seattle Storm on their quest for a WNBA title in the final year of Sue Bird’s storied career, and Charles will only help that goal become more realistic.
