Just two years after winning WNBA MVP, 26-year-old star Tina Charles was traded to the New York Liberty in 2014.

She had played four seasons for the team that drafted her first overall in 2010 – the Connecticut Sun – and put up over 10 rebounds and 15 points per game each of those seasons. Charles would go on to play for four more teams, including the Atlanta Dream in 2024. She is the WNBA all-time leader in rebounds and trails only Diana Taurasi in points.

The package the Liberty traded for Charles included the fourth overall pick in 2014, which would become ten-year Sun veteran Alyssa Thomas. Now, following six consecutive semifinal appearances (two wins, neither of which culminated in a championship), Thomas has signed with the Phoenix Mercury. The Sun, seemingly heading into a rebuild, lost its entire starting five, including Dijonai Carrington, Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner in free agency and trades.

Amid the regime upheaval, the Sun has returned to its past. Charles, now 36, signed a one-year deal with Connecticut on Sunday.

“Today marks an incredible moment in our team’s history as we welcome back one of the greatest players to ever grace the WNBA,” Sun general manager Morgan Tuck said in a statement. “Tina not only helped define the success of this franchise during her early years, but she also set the bar for excellence, both on and off the court. Her passion, leadership, and dedication to the game have left an incredible mark on our league, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her return to the team where it all began.

“This is a full-circle moment that strengthens our foundation and inspires the next generation of players and fans alike. We are extremely excited for this next chapter of Connecticut Sun history with Tina back in a Sun uniform.”

Despite an 0-5 record and injury scare to begin her WNBA career, Caitlin Clark is not losing hope as the Indiana Fever go through early growing pains. The team finished dead last in the Eastern Conference last season and Clark has not singlehandedly turned things around like some hoped she would.

“You’re never happy to lose,” Clark said after an 85-83 loss to the Seattle Storm. “It’s not fun, but at the same time there’s just a lot of things to build on. I’m just trying to be as positive as possible, continue to learn, continue to stack days. I know that first win will be right around the corner.”

Like any college athlete making the transition to the pros, Clark is struggling in her early days in the WNBA. She is still scoring 17.8 points per game, far from a disastrous result through five games, but the team has not yet benefitted from her efforts.

Visually, she has oscillated between brilliant flashes of talent and simple rookie mistakes. She also suffered a minor injury against the Connecticut Sun on Monday but returned in the second half to finish the game, scoring 17 points.

As she tries to step up to this next level of basketball, Clark has received significant criticism from people who resent the level of attention she has received. Those people have not been as forgiving of her age, nor do they seem to be aware of the state of the Fever before her arrival.

Not only is Clark an extremely inexperienced rookie finding her way, but for those somewhat new to the WNBA, it’s easy to forget that Indiana had the first-overall pick for a reason. Even with young star Aliyah Boston on the roster, the team wasn’t even close to contention last year. She and Clark have the potential to lead this team in time, but there is still much to learn.

“We’re, what, six points away from being 2-3 instead of 0-5?” Clark said Wednesday. “It’s that close. There’s so many instances of going back and watching the film of like little things that you can easily fix and clean up … I think you have to find confidence in that, especially at this point, being 0-5. If you just get upset by it, I don’t think that’s going to be too beneficial for us.”

During a recent WNBA game, awful, derogatory comments were made towards Aces star Liz Cambage. The head coach of the Connecticut Sun, Curt Miller called her 300 pounds, and for this he has been fined $10,000 and suspended one game. After making these comments, Miller apologized. “During last night’s game, while arguing a call with an official, I made an inappropriate and offensive comment in reference to Liz Cambage’s height and weight,” Miller said. “I regret what I said in the heat of the moment and want to sincerely apologize to Liz and the entire Aces organization. I understand the gravity of my words and have learned from this.”

Cambage didn’t take kindly to the comments nor the apology and in return, posted an Instagram story last Monday claiming that he said something along the lines of “she’s 300 pounds.”

“Something went down in today’s game and I need to speak on it, because if there’s one thing about me is that I will never let a man disrespect me,” Cambage said Sunday night. “So to the coach of Connecticut—I’m sorry, little sir man, I do not know your name. But the next time you try to call out a referee trying to get a call being like, ‘C’mon, she’s 300 pounds,’ I’m going to need you to get it right baby. I’m weighing 235 pounds and I’m very proud of being a big b—-, big body, big Benz, baby. So don’t ever try to disrespect me or another woman in the league. For a coach for another team, to be yelling, like, [that’s] protected abuse,” Cambage said. “Because we can’t do nothing back. It’s just crazy to me.”

Cambage is one of the better centers in the league. She’s a three-time All-Star in five WNBA seasons. She averaged 15.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 2020 as Las Vegas reached the WNBA semifinals.

Attention, all WNBA fans! Tickets for the Connecticut Sun’s home game against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday, May 26 are now on sale!

> BUY WNBA Tickets: Sun vs. Lynx (Mohegan Sun Arena, May 26)

The game will begin at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut at 7 p.m. EST. Tickets are available on tickemtaster.com.

Tickets start at $17 and the most expensive seats in the house are priced at just $39.

Top players on the Lynx include U.S. Olympians Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore and Lindssay Whalen, while the Sun boasts Team USA stars like Alex Bentley, Kelly Faris and Kayla Pedersen.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 14: (L_R) Anna Cruz #51, Sylvia Fowles #34, Seimone Augustus #33, Renee Montgomery #21 and Maya Moore #23 of the Minnesota Lynx celebrate a basket by Montgomery at the end of the third quarter against the Indiana Fever in Game Five of the 2015 WNBA Finals on October 14, 2015 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lynx defeated the Fever 69-52 to win the WNBA Championship.