SEATTLE — The Storm finalized a deal with Tina Charles and is adding the eight-time WNBA All-Star center for the second half of the season as the team ramps up for a playoff push.
On Saturday, Charles mutually agreed to a 'contract divorce' from the Phoenix Mercury and settled on a buyout on her one-year deal worth a reported $108,000.
Hours later, several reports linked the 2012 WNBA MVP to the Storm before their 85-77 upset loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.
And Monday, Seattle made it official.
"We are excited to add one of the premier players in our league to our roster," coach Noelle Quinn said in a statement. "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 is a eight-time All-WNBA selection including five times as a first-team pick and one of the league's top scorers and rebounders during her 12-year career.
The 6-foot-4 center led the WNBA in scoring in 2021 and 2016. She ranks second all-time in 20+ point games with 164 and sixth with 6,889 career points.
In addition, Charles is second in WNBA history with 3,507 rebounds, while leading the league in rebounding four times.
Charles spent her first four WNBA seasons (2010-2013) with the Connecticut Sun before a six-year stint (2014-2019) with the New York Liberty.
She sat out the 2020 shortened season inside the WNBA's Bradenton, Fla., bubble due to health concerns surrounding COVID-19 and was deemed a high-risk individual by the league's independent doctors due to a condition called extrinsic asthma that impacts the immune system.
Charles, who signed a two-year deal with the Washington Mystics, donated her 2020 salary worth a reported $175,000 to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Last year, Charles tallied a career-high 23.4 scoring average with the Washington Mystics.
During 16 games with Phoenix this season, Charles averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 33 minutes while shooting 44.1% from the field, including 36.4% on three-pointers.
Conceivably, the 33-year-old Charles, who has started all 373 of her WNBA games, will supplant promising third-year veteran Ezi Magbegor and join a Storm lineup that includes Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Gabby Williams and Breanna Stewart.
Charles will make her debut with the Storm (11-7) 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Las Vegas Aces (14-4) at Climate Pledge Arena.
With their newest addition, Seattle has four former No. 1 overall WNBA draft picks, including Bird (2002), Charles (2010), Loyd (2015) and Stewart (2016).
Charles teamed with Bird, Loyd and Stewart on the 2020 USA women's basketball team at the Tokyo Games to win her third Olympic gold medal.
