Tina

Charles

The Sun recorded back-to-back wins for the first time all season on Thursday, which had a lot to do with Charles’ strong play. The veteran played well throughout, but her biggest impact came in a 12-point third quarter that saw the Sun their halftime lead from seven points to 11 by the end of the third quarter. She was quiet in the fourth as a scorer, but still finished as the game’s leader in points. Although the Sun aren’t competing for a playoff spot at this point in the season, Charles is still logging heavy minutes and maintaining an important role in the offense. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable with playing her on a nightly basis.

Charles finished Tuesday’s victory one rebound shy of a double-double, which would have been her sixth of the season. By comparison, she recorded 21 double-doubles with the Dream last season. The 2025 campaign has been a struggle for Charles and the Sun, who ended a 13-game road losing streak on Tuesday. She’s still approaching 30 minutes on most nights, if not exceeding that number, which bodes well for fantasy managers with Charles rostered. The lingering question is whether there will come a point when the Sun prioritizes getting Aneesah Morrow and Aaliyah Edwards (8/4/1/1/1) more consistent minutes with an eye toward the future.

Charles was super efficient to start shooting 5-for-7 from the field. She scored 12 of her 21 points during the first half. Charles got out in transition, put the ball on the floor and often successfully drove against Aliyah Boston, who was just a step slow. Charles hit one three-pointer in the overtime period, but couldn’t score score the basketball on her three other shots which were all well-defended by the Fever on lower percentage looks. Charles facilitated in this game, and found a cutting Marina Mabrey for three baskets at the rim.

With Tina Charles back in the lineup after sitting out Monday’s loss to Golden State, Nelson-Ododa returned to the bench on Wednesday. However, that did not negatively impact ONO’s production, as she did not miss a shot from the field and contributed five “stocks” in 19 minutes off the bench. The playing time at the center position was nearly an even split, with Charles (15 points, four rebounds, two blocks and one three-pointer) playing 21 minutes. The variable for the rest of the season will be how the Sun view the recently acquired Aaliyah Edwards, who only played 12 minutes off the bench as Aneesah Morrow’s backup. If Connecticut aims to get Edwards more minutes with an eye toward the future, it may come at the expense of Nelson-Ododa and Charles.

Charles returns to the starting lineup after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Valkyries, Connecticut’s second game in as many nights. Her return pushes Olivia Nelson-Ododa, removing ONO’s fantasy value in most leagues. Connecticut’s other four starters remain unchanged.

Nelson-Ododa tied a team-high in points on Monday in a game in which the Sun logged their third-fewest points of the season and shot poorly overall. The fourth-year center was one of just two Connecticut players to shoot over 40.0 percent from the field, as she didn’t miss on either of her five shot attempts. Nelson-Ododa’s name appeared in several other statistical categories that matter for fantasy basketball, and when combined, left her with a solid final stat line. If Tina Charles (rest) returns against Chicago on Wednesday, Nelson-Ododa could move back to the bench.

On the second game of a back-to-back, the Sun are resting the veteran center, Tina Charles, and inserting Nelson-Ododa into the starting lineup in Charles’ place. The fourth-year center will be making her 21st start of the season for the Sun. She is averaging 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds across 29 games this year and will serve as another well-rounded frontcourt player in Connecticut’s opening unit in the team’s attempt to end a four-game losing streak. With Charles out, expect Aaliyah Edwards to see an increase in playing time against Golden State in her second game with the Sun after being acquired at the trade deadline.

Monday’s game is the second in as many nights for the Sun, who lost to the Aces on Sunday. Charles played 29 minutes against Las Vegas, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot. Her absence opens up a spot in the starting lineup, with Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aaliyah Edwards being candidates to fill the void. Regardless of who starts for Charles, both players should see their minutes increase against the Valkyries.

Despite the loss, Charles had an impressive final stat line on Thursday. The veteran center neared 20 points and tied with two others for the team-high in rebounds. Additionally, Charles produced a steal and a block in the same game for only the fourth time this season and made a three-pointer for the third consecutive game. She had a balanced evening and continues to put together solid outings for fantasy managers. With Aaliyah Edwards recently acquired via trade, it’ll be interesting to see if her arrival has any impact on Charles’ production moving forward.