Tina Charles is returning to the Washington Mystics for the 2021 season. Mystics general manager and head coach Mike Thibault announced Friday Charles is re-signing with the team.
Washington traded for Charles last year. However, she opted out of the 2020 season after being granted a medical exemption.
Even then Charles expressed her desire to return to the Mystics in 2021. Now, she gets another chance to pair with Elena Delle Donne,
Charles was the first overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft. She was named the 2012 WNBA MVP while playing with the Connecticut Sun. Among her numerous accomplishments, she was the league’s scoring champion in 2016, seven-time All-Star, and five-time All-NBA First Team.
Charles is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA.
In 2019, Charles averaged 16.9 points and 7.5 rebounds, shooting 38.9% from the field, including 18.6% from three. Through 10 years, she has a career-average of 18.1 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 45% from the field.
Her return is huge for the Mystics given the uncertainty surrounding Emma Meesseman. Meesseman is unlikely to return to the Mystics until after her national commitments with her native Belgium as the team prepares for 2021 Olympic Games.
