Kaila Charles

Last updated
Kaila Charles
Kaila Charles (cropped).jpg
Charles in 2020
Personal information
Born (1998-03-23) March 23, 1998 (age 26)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight168 lb (76 kg)
Career information
High school Riverdale Baptist
(Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
College Maryland (2016–2020)
WNBA draft 2020: 2nd round, 23rd overall pick
Selected by the Connecticut Sun
Playing career2020–present
Position Shooting guard / small forward
Career history
20202021 Connecticut Sun
2022 Atlanta Dream
2023 Seattle Storm
2023-presentDVTK HUN-Therm
Career highlights and awards

Kaila Charles (born March 23, 1998) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. She played college basketball for the University of Maryland, College Park. After a successful college career there, Charles was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft.

Contents

Early life

High school

Charles hails from Glenn Dale, Maryland. For her first three years of high school, she attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in nearby Greenbelt, where her teams had a combined 72 and 5 record. While at Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles' teams won two Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class AAAA state championships (2014 and 2015). Charles also earned Washington Post All-Metro honors as a sophomore and junior. She transferred her senior year to Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, and helped the team to a national championship game. She was a McDonalds and Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American selection as a senior, and also received All-Metro Player of The Year honors from the Post. [1]

Recruiting

Charles was ranked as the 25th best player in her national class by ESPN and the Collegiate Girls Report, though the All Star Girls Report had her ranked as high as 21st. She was a highly-sought player as a five-star recruit, and received over 30 scholarship offers, eventually signing with Brenda Frese and the nearby Maryland Terrapins over Tennessee and South Carolina. [2] [3]

College career

Freshman season (2016-17)

Charles earned a double-double in her first game and saw a large amount of playing time. She was eventually named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. [1]

Sophomore season (2017-18)

As a sophomore, Charles was named a Preseason All-Big Ten team member, as well as a preseason Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list member. Charles became the third player in program history to score 600 points as a second year player, and her 17.9 points per game remain the highest-ever for a Maryland sophomore. Charles earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week honors as a sophomore, and finished the season as a First Team All-Big Ten selection. [1]

Junior season (2018-19)

Charles received Player of the Week in February of this season, and finished the season receiving Associated Press and WBCA Honorable Mention All-American honors, and becoming a Cheryl Miller Award finalist. She was also a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection, and appeared on the watchlist for the Wade Trophy. [1]

Senior season (2019-2020)

Prior to the 2019-20 season, she was named an AP Preseason All-American, as well as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. [4] Charles was Big Ten, United States Basketball Writers Association, and ESPNW player of the week for December 30, and would receive Big Ten Player of the Week Honors once again in February. Charles finished her Maryland career by winning the 2020 Big Ten women's basketball tournament, the first time the team had done so since her freshman year, after losing to Ohio State and Iowa in the championship game the two previous years. [1]

Charles became one of six players in program history to be in the program's top ten scorers and rebounders, holding sixth place for both. She also tied Sun teammate Alyssa Thomas' record of career starts (135), as she started every game of her career. [1]

Maryland statistics

Source [5]

Ratios
YEARTeamGPFG%3P%FT%RBGAPGBPGSPGPPG
2016-17Maryland3551.1%-68.5%5.571.230.511.269.69
2017-18Maryland3450.3%33.3%73.2%8.092.121.061.5617.94
2018-19Maryland3348.6%7.1%80.5%6.912.330.701.3017.55
2019-20Maryland3250.0%30.0%69.5%7.252.220.631.5914.25
Career13449.9%22.2%74.0%6.941.960.721.4314.81
Totals
YEARTeamGPFGFGA3P3PAFTFTAREBABKSTPTS
2016-17Maryland35139272036189195431844339
2017-18Maryland34246489618112153275723653610
2018-19Maryland33221455114136169228772343579
2019-20Maryland3219038031073105232712051456
Career13479615961045382516930263971911984

WNBA

Connecticut Sun

Charles was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd pick in the second round of the 2020 WNBA draft. [6] She appeared in 21 games for the Sun in her rookie year, starting seven. She averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds over 17.9 minutes per game. Despite being the seventh seed (of eight) in the 2020 WNBA Playoffs, the Sun made it to the semifinals before losing to the Las Vegas Aces in five games. Charles was waived by the Sun on May 5, 2022. [7]

New York Liberty

On May 6, 2022, Charles joined the New York Liberty on a hardship contract. [8] Two days later, she was released from the hardship and did not appear in any games.

Atlanta Dream

On August 12, 2022, Charles signed with the Dream on a hardship contract. [9]

WNBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2020 Connecticut 21717.9.412.367.7102.60.90.80.30.95.4
2021 Connecticut 30416.3.368.303.8752.81.10.50.40.94.3
2022 Atlanta 102.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
2023 Seattle 4010.3.250.0001.30.30.30.00.01.5
Career4 years, 3 teams561116.2.380.323.7822.60.90.60.30.84.4

Postseason

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2020 Connecticut 7011.7.375.1821.0001.70.40.10.11.34.0
2021 Connecticut 4113.3.313.000.0003.00.80.30.30.32.5
Career2 years, 1 team11112.3.350.1671.0002.20.50.20.20.93.5

International career

DVTK HUN-Therm

On July 4, 2023, Charles signed with Hungarian team DVTK HUN-Therm in the EuroLeague to play in 2023 after the completion of the WNBA season. [10]

International career statistics

EuroLeague

Year [11] TeamGPMPGPPGPTSRPGAPGFGM-FGAFG%3PM-3PA3P%FTM-FTAFT%
2023-24DVTK HUN-Therm1932.911.52198.32.84.3-12.534.60.8-2.731.42.1-2.969.6

Personal life

Charles' mother, Ruperta Charles, competed in the 100 meter dash at the 1984 Summer Olympics on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda after attending Howard University. She has three older siblings. Her sister, Afia, was a track athlete at the University of Central Florida and represented Antigua and Barbuda in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Her brother Akil plays basketball at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Lennox</span> American basketball player

Betty Bernice Lennox is an American retired professional basketball player. She played for the Minnesota Lynx, Miami Sol, Cleveland Rockers, Seattle Storm, Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks and Tulsa Shock in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her nicknames include "Betty Basketball," "Betty Big Buckets," and her most popular nickname "B-Money."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda Frese</span> American basketball player and coach

Brenda Sue Frese is an American women's basketball head coach and former player. Since 2002, she has served as the head coach of the University of Maryland women's basketball team. In her fourth year as head coach, she won the 2006 Women's National Championship. She won the 2009 ACC Regular Season and Tournament Championships – the women's first ACC Championship since 1989. She won another ACC Championship in 2012 and reached another Final Four in 2014. Maryland moved to the Big Ten for the 2014–15 season and Frese led the Terrapins to an undefeated 18–0 conference record and a Big Ten Regular Season Championship in their first year in the Big Ten. The Terrapins advanced to their second straight Final Four and third under Frese in 2015. She was voted AP National Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2021, ACC Coach of the Year in 2013, Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2002, 2015, 2019, and 2021, and MAC Coach of the Year in 2000. At Maryland, she's coached four ACC Players of the Year and four ACC Freshmen of the Year.

Morenike Olayinka Atunrase is an American basketball player who played for the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars during the 2008 season. She was drafted in 2008 out of Texas A&M, where she played from 2004–08.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Charles (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Tina Alexandria Charles is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Originally from Jamaica, Queens, New York City, Charles was drafted first overall in the 2010 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun. In 2009 and 2010, she and teammate Maya Moore led the Connecticut Huskies to two undefeated national championships. She has won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA and will be inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame at the head of the Class of 2024 - the first female to head a class at any major basketball hall of fame and the first active player ever inducted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Adams</span> American basketball player (born 1989)

Danielle E'Shawn Adams is an American forward-center who is currently a free agent. She played college basketball at Texas A&M. She is the first Texas A&M player to be named an Associated Press first-team All-American. She also captured first team All-American honors from the WBCA. She was the Most Outstanding Player in the 2011 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament championship, scoring 30 points. The 30 points rank second in NCAA Championship Game history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Bentley</span> American basketball player

Alexandria Marie Bentley is an American professional basketball player. She played college basketball at Pennsylvania State University. She represents the Belarus national team internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alyssa Thomas</span> American basketball player

Alyssa Thomas is an American professional basketball forward for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins. The New York Liberty drafted Thomas 4th overall in the 2014 WNBA draft, and immediately traded her to the Sun along with Kelsey Bone and a 2015 first-round draft pick in exchange for Tina Charles. Thomas is the University of Maryland's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles for both the women's and men's programs, and one of only three athletes in NCAAW history with six career triple-doubles. In the WNBA, Thomas recorded thirteen career triple-doubles. She is one of four players to record 15+, 15+, 10+ with 0 turnovers, the only WNBA player to do so ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Banham</span> American basketball player

Rachel Banham is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Banham played guard for the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball team, where she set a number of team records. Banham was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 4th pick of the 2016 WNBA draft. Banham was traded to the Minnesota Lynx in 2020, and later re-signed with the Sun in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexie Brown</span> American basketball (WNBA) player (born 1994)

Alexis Kiah Brown is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She previously played for the Chicago Sky, Minnesota Lynx, and Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Brown was the ninth overall pick by the Connecticut Sun in the 2018 WNBA draft. She was traded to the Minnesota Lynx a year later. She played college basketball at the University of Maryland and Duke University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shatori Walker-Kimbrough</span> American basketball player

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins and was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christyn Williams</span> American basketball player

Christyn Williams is an American women's basketball player who is a free agent. She was drafted by the Washington Mystics. She played college basketball at the University of Connecticut (UConn). She played in high school for Central Arkansas Christian School in North Little Rock, Arkansas. A five-star recruit and one of the most decorated high school basketball players in history, Williams rose to national acclaim after winning the 2018 WBCA National Player of the Year award, the 2018 Naismith National Player of the Year award the 2018 Gatorade National Player of the Year award, and the 2018 USA Today Player of the Year award. Williams also was named a McDonald's All-American, where she was named the game's MVP after scoring 22 points and leading the West team to an 82-79 victory. Williams was awarded the Morgan Wootten Award, which is given each year to "the McDonald's All American who best exhibits outstanding character, leadership and the values of a student-athlete in the classroom and the community". Williams was also named to the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Dangerfield</span> American basketball player

Crystal Simone Dangerfield is an American basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). After a high school career that made her the nation's top-ranked point guard, she played college basketball for the UConn Huskies. Dangerfield was drafted in the second round of the 2020 WNBA draft by Minnesota, where she was named WNBA Rookie of the Year after leading the team in scoring. At 5'5", for the 2024 season, she is the shortest player in the WNBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naz Hillmon</span> American basketball player (born 2000)

Nazahrah Ansaria Hillmon is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Melbourne Boomers of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She played college basketball at Michigan, where she is Michigan's all-time leader in rebounds, double-doubles, and free throws made. As a junior she was named a first-team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year. She also represented the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup and won a gold medal.

Stephanie Jones is an American basketball player. She has played for the Washington Mystics and the Connecticut Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Egbo</span> American basketball player

Queen Kamsiyochukwu Egbo is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She also previously played in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever, Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun. She played college basketball at Baylor. She represented the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup and won a gold medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veronica Burton (basketball)</span> American basketball player

Veronica Grace Burton is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She previously played in the WNBA for the Dallas Wings. She played college basketball at Northwestern. She also represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA Women's AmeriCup and won a gold medal.

Nia Clouden is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. She played college basketball at Michigan State. Clouden was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 WNBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamond Miller</span> American basketball player

Diamond Miller is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins. Miller attended Franklin High School in Somerset, New Jersey, where she was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN and earned McDonald's All-American honors in 2019. At Maryland, she was named an All-American as a senior, won Most Outstanding Player of the 2021 Big Ten tournament and left as a three-time All-Big Ten selection. Miller won a gold medal with the United States national team at the 2021 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. She was selected 2nd overall in the 2023 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Mikesell</span> American basketball player

Taylor Ayn Mikesell is an American basketball player who is a free agent. She was drafted by the Indiana Fever in the 2023 WNBA Draft and played during the 2023 season for the Atlanta Dream. She played her college basketball at Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference. She previously played for the Maryland Terrapins and the Oregon Ducks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigha Brown</span> American basketball player

Leigha Brown is an American professional basketball player for the AE Sedis Bàsquet of the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto. She played college basketball at Nebraska and Michigan.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kaila Charles - Women's Basketball". University of Maryland Athletics. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  2. Spinks, Redell (2015-05-18). "Kaila Charles is a Future Terp!". Team Takeover. Retrieved 2020-04-26.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. "kaila-charles". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  4. staff, Baltimore Sun (31 October 2019). "Maryland's Kaila Charles named preseason All-American; Orioles OF Mason Williams becomes free agent". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  5. "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  6. "Kaila Charles, Juicy Landrum discuss joining Connecticut Sun". High Post Hoops. 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  7. "Connecticut Waives Kaila Charles". Connecticut Sun. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  8. Twitter https://twitter.com/nyliberty/status/1522592484836225024 . Retrieved 2022-05-06.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. Atlanta Dream [@AtlantaDream] (August 12, 2022). "ROSTER UPDATE: The Atlanta Dream has signed Kaila Charles to a hardship contract. She will be available for tonight's game. #DoItForTheDream" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  10. "Kaila Charles a DVTK HUN-Therm játékosa". 4 July 2023.
  11. "Kaila CHARLES at the EuroLeague Women 2023-24".