Eight-time WNBA All-Star Tina Charles is switching teams. Charles agreed to a contract divorce with the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday.
Shortly after, multiple reports stated that the 2012 league MVP had reached an agreement to join the Seattle Storm.
The Mercury announced the split, calling it a mutual decision. In a statement, Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said, “Our season has not gone according to our plan,” which played a role in the decision. The Mercury sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 6-12 record.
The team thanked Charles for her contributions.
In 16 games, Charles is averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Both figures are slightly lower than her career averages.
Charles, 33, signed a one-year deal with the Mercury in February. She was coming off a season in which she led the WNBA in scoring. That performance wasn’t out of line with the rest of Charles’ career. She’s made the All-Star team in each of the four past seasons.
She’ll join an 11-6 Storm team with WNBA title aspirations that entered Saturday in second place in the Western Conference behind the 13-3 Las Vegas Aces.
