Jewell Loyd made her feelings about Tina Charles clear after the Seattle Storm took Game 1 from Las Vegas in the WNBA semifinals on Aug. 28.

“Don’t forget about Tina Charles. Whatever happened early on, she’s with us and we know her capabilities. She’s a Hall of Famer,” Loyd told ESPN’s Holly Rowe in a postgame interview after Charles grabbed a franchise-record 18 rebounds and added 13 points in the upset win.

Though she played only 24 games for the Storm this season, forgetting about Charles is nearly impossible for anyone in the basketball world.

She’s made headlines on and off the court, and now that she’s an unrestricted free agent, there are sure to be many more. Let’s revisit Charles’ past to get a better sense of what might be in her future.

Background

Charles has long been heralded for her basketball skills. The center gained widespread recognition while playing for Christ the King High School in Queens, N.Y. — the same school Sue Bird and Chamique Holdsclaw attended years prior. There, she became a McDonald’s All-American and was tabbed as New York’s Miss Basketball.

Charles averaged 26.5 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.2 blocks during her senior season before suiting up for UConn.

With the Huskies, Charles won national championships in 2009 and 2010 while playing with other future WNBA stars Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Tiffany Hayes. During her senior season, Charles broke Rebecca Lobo’s record to become UConn’s all-time leading rebounder.

Early WNBA years

After her success at UConn, the Connecticut Sun selected Charles first overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft. She was named Rookie of the Year and then league MVP two years later after averaging 18 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 blocks per game in 2012.

The Sun traded Charles before the 2014 season in an effort to secure draft picks, ultimately using their No. 4 pick on current player Alyssa Thomas. Charles then spent six seasons with the Liberty. While playing for her hometown team, the center was named to five All-Star teams and became the franchise’s all-time leading rebounder in 2019.

Before the 2020 season, Charles expressed her interest in leaving New York for Washington, and the Liberty ultimately traded Charles to the Mystics in a three-team deal on April 15.

“It was her choice,” Mystics head coach and general manager Mike Thibault told reporters at the time. “She took her time to think about it and informed New York a few weeks ago that she would like to be traded. And ever since that time, us and New York have been negotiating on the deal.”

She sat out the 2020 bubble season due to COVID-19 concerns related to her extrinsic asthma before posting 23.4 points (the best scoring average of her career) and 9.6 rebounds per game in 2021 — her lone season with Washington.

Washington Mystics

Mystics fans who hoped to see Charles and Elena Delle Donne play together never got their wish, as Delle Donne was plagued with injuries in 2021 and the two appeared in just one game together. Charles decided to look elsewhere in free agency and ended up signing a one-year, $108,000 deal with the Mercury.

Prior to the signing, Charles had enjoyed WNBA success at an individual level with eight All-Star appearances and nine All-WNBA First and Second Team selections, but not at a team level. In her 11 seasons, Charles had yet to win a title and had not made a semifinals appearance since 2015, when the Liberty lost to the Fever.

Wherever she landed next, Charles wanted it to be a team that could contend in the playoffs. With that criteria in mind, re-signing with the Mystics would have made sense, but neither party seemed interested in the option.

“I just know I need to win a championship before I retire,” Charles told the Washington Post last September. “Obviously, some decisions are going to have to be made, and I have to look into everything. I’m thankful for my year here and just to see how they do things, and [that] will definitely help moving forward.”

During a press conference in early February, Thibault expressed his wish to re-sign both Emma Meesseman (now with the Sky) and Myisha Hines-Allen (still with the Mystics) but never mentioned Charles’ name.

Phoenix Mercury

With the signing of Charles, the Mercury looked to have the makings of a super team after finishing 2021 as runners-up. They retained Diana Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kia Nurse and Brittney Griner and also signed Diamond DeShields, who was an important part of the Sky’s 2021 WNBA championship run.

But things quickly soured in Phoenix.

Griner was wrongfully detained on drug charges in Russia and never made an appearance for the Mercury in 2022, with the fight to get her home ongoing. Nurse also missed the season with a torn ACL.

The Mercury started the season 2-8 and in search of answers for their talented squad. During her tenure in Phoenix, Charles averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while starting all 16 of her appearances.

On June 25, the relationship took another turn when Charles and Phoenix decided to go their separate ways via a contract divorce. Mercury GM Jim Pitman said in a statement at the time, “Due to circumstances both in and out of our control, our season has not gone according to our plan, and we will continue to pursue all avenues for improvement.”

Charles was with the Mercury for 18 games overall, but according to coach Vanessa Nygaard, she “chose” not to appear in the other two contests. ESPN reported that Charles had been unhappy with her role in Phoenix’s offense and had regularly expressed her desire to leave the team.

It also appeared that Charles had no love lost for her former coach after the contract divorce.

“I have a small window and there’s a way that I want to play, and with the time I have left playing, there’s a way I want to be coached,” Charles said after her decision to leave the team was made public.

Seattle Storm and beyond

Three days after her contract divorce with the Mercury, Charles signed with the Storm, the team she had reportedly turned down in the offseason for Phoenix. The decision made sense for both parties at the time, as the Storm needed another rebounder and post presence to complement Ezi Magbegor, the team’s lone center. Meanwhile, Charles was still on a quest to win a title, and the Storm were in a good position to contend.

“I want to thrive in the right environment at this point in my career, being 13 years in,” Charles told ESPN last month. “A lot of other players maybe would have had time to settle in and see what the outcome of that was. Me being 33, I just knew what my goal was and it’s also important to know what process you want to go through to attain that goal.”

Charles performed well for the Storm, averaging 12.6 points and 7.4 blocks across 18 games as they made a run to the semifinals. She went quiet in Seattle’s final two games of the series, however, grabbing 14 total rebounds and scoring just two points in Game 4 on Tuesday. She also missed two free throws in the final 10 seconds of Game 3, leaving the door open for Las Vegas’ comeback.

Now that the Storm have been eliminated from playoff contention, coach Noelle Quinn and the organization turn to next season, one that is marked with uncertainty. Bird’s retirement is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, but after Loyd and Mercedes Russell, everyone else on the roster is a free agent. While Magbegor is a restricted free agent, everyone else — including Stewart — is unrestricted.

During exit interviews on Wednesday, Quinn expressed her desire to re-sign Stewart. Quinn also mentioned the importance of signing a point guard to replace the retired Bird and Briann January.

After that, the team will focus on rostering a mix of youth and experience, Quinn said.

So, how does Charles fit into that conversation?

Charles did not show up for her exit interview with media members on Wednesday — she was the only Storm player to not appear — but Quinn said she had a positive conversation with the veteran. She did not specify, however, whether or not the team would seek to re-sign her.

“I told her I appreciated the professionalism she brought,” Quinn said. “Obviously, we didn’t finish the ultimate goal, which is to win a championship, but I thought she conducted herself in a very positive manner throughout.”

If Stewart returns, between her and Loyd, the Storm will already have two key pieces in place for rebuilding a championship roster. Charles has expressed multiple times her desire to win a title before she retires, so from her perspective, the Storm could remain a good fit. Plus, Quinn reacted positively to Charles’ time with the Storm.

There seems to be no ill will between the two parties, so a return is possible, though neither the Storm nor Charles has spoken directly to the topic.

For now, Charles’ future once again remains uncertain.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"