\u201cAthletes Unlimited was the right fit for me right now,\u201d Charles explained. \u201cI wanted to stay with the 5-on-5 format, and just the players that have went through there, and just their response to the camaraderie, the friendships that they\u2019ve made, the hospitality, and just being taken care of, was just what I wanted to experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three-time Olympic gold medalist spoke extensively with Alysha Clark and Lexie Brown about their experiences, was inspired by former AU competitor Natasha Cloud\u2019s enthusiasm, and seeing respected WNBA players like Elizabeth Williams and Kia Stokes join the AU ranks made the decision feel natural.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe excitement from Natasha Cloud, you know, she\u2019s such a big influence on the court and off the court,\u201d Charles recalled. \u201cAnd so to hear her speak about it, to see her play in it, seeing how Allisha Gray and just the corner that she has turned in her career\u2013jump-started from Athletes Unlimited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charles was also intrigued by AU\u2019s unique player-driven format<\/a>, along with additional factors that checked the boxes for her.<\/p>\n \u201cThe type of format that AU poses and just how it makes it always competitive, and players are always engaged because of that format, that it\u2019s player-driven,\u201d she noted. \u201cI think that\u2019s really neat, you know, something that I\u2019ve never been a part of, nor have I seen on men\u2019s or women\u2019s side.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles\u2019 decision to join AU comes on the heels of her most productive offensive season in four years with the Connecticut Sun, the team that drafted her first overall in 2010. This past season, she averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 43 appearances. She also surpassed Diana Taurasi for the most field goals in WNBA history during the 2025 season, became the second player ever to reach 8,000 career points, and became the first player in the league to reach 200 career double-doubles.\u00a0<\/p>\n And Charles is not the only AU player who will benefit from her participation. She brings the kind of veteran leadership that can elevate the young players around her. She\u2019s particularly excited about the opportunity to share her experience with rising stars like Bree Hall, Deja Kelly, and Te-Hina Paopao.<\/p>\n \u201cI know I\u2019ll be one of the oldest players there. So how can I help these players have fruitful careers like I\u2019ve had? Help them see the game differently, help them either way, on the court or off the court, with the way I approach things?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Charles credits much of her career longevity to understanding how her role evolves with different teams and situations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYour role changes as teams change. So just understanding what my role is on different teams, I think that was extremely helpful, and just being a voice in a locker room, and just being a good teammate.\u201d<\/p>\n After spending 12 of her 15 professional seasons playing overseas, Charles is embracing the opportunity to compete domestically. The chance for her family to easily attend games holds special significance, particularly for her mother, who has never visited Nashville.<\/p>\n \u201cI love being home,\u201d Charles said. \u201cTo still be able to accomplish things that I do off the court, to have family be able to come out to Nashville and watch me play just as they did during the WNBA, I think that\u2019s even more exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles will compete for Hopey\u2019s Heart Foundation as part of the AU Athlete Causes program, powered by Give Lively and the Give Lively Foundation, which makes a grant equal to 100% of the athlete\u2019s end-of-season win bonus to the non-profit of the athlete\u2019s choice. The foundation was established in memory of her late aunt Maureen \u201cHopey\u201d Vaz, who died of multiple organ failure in March 2013.<\/p>\n