The Phoenix Mercury sit in fifth place in the Western Conference through 18 games this season. The team is 6-12, and now, one of its major offseason acquisitions is on the move.
The team posted a tweet indicating that Tina Charles, who joined the team prior to the year as a free agent following one season with the Washington Mystics, was on her way out. Shortly after, the Mercury released a statement from general manager Jim Pitman that confirmed the 2021 WNBA leading scorer will not longer play for the team as part of a contract divorce.
Thank you, Tina! pic.twitter.com/SRqCdF77cY
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 25, 2022
“After discussions with Tina and her agent, it was best for both parties to go our separate ways at this time,” Pitman said. “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, an All-Star selection in eight of the last 10 seasons, started all 16 games in which she appeared for Phoenix this season, and averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 33.1 minutes per game. She led the team in rebounding and was second only to Skylar Diggins-Smith in scoring. There is no word on which teams are going to look to acquire Charles now that she is free to head elsewhere.