Kaila Charles

Last updated
Kaila Charles
Kaila Charles 2025 (cropped).jpg
Charles with the Dallas Wings in 2025
Free agent
Position Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born (1998-03-23) March 23, 1998 (age 27)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, U.S.
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
Drafted by Connecticut Sun
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–2021 Connecticut Sun
2022 Atlanta Dream
2023 Seattle Storm
2023–2025DVTK HUN-Therm
2025 Dallas Wings
2025 Golden State Valkyries
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Kaila Charles (born March 23, 1998) is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. She played college basketball for the University of Maryland, College Park. She was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft and previously played for the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm.

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]

Professional career

WNBA

Connecticut Sun (2020–2021)

Charles was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd pick in the second round of the 2020 WNBA draft. [5] 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. [6] On May 6, Charles joined the New York Liberty on a hardship contract. [7] Two days later, she was released from the hardship and did not appear in any games.

Atlanta Dream (2022)

On August 12, 2022, Charles signed with the Atlanta Dream on a hardship contract. [8] She played only two minutes in one game.

Seattle Storm (2023)

On February 6, 2023, Charles signed a training camp contract with the Seattle Storm. [9] She made the opening day roster. [10] She appeared in four games but was waived by the Storm on June 8. [11]

Dallas Wings (2025)

On February 2, 2025, Charles signed a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings. [12] She made the opening day roster. [13] On June 14, she was waived by the Wings. [14] However, the Wings signed her to a hardship contract on June 17. [15] On June 30, she was released by the Wings. [16]

Overseas

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. [17]

Career statistics

WNBA

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

Stats current through game on June 28, 2025

WNBA regular season statistics [18]
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 102.0———0.00.00.00.00.00.0
2023 Seattle 4010.3.250.000—1.30.30.30.00.01.5
2024Did not appear in league
2025 Dallas 17415.8.363.333.8154.01.10.50.20.95.3
Career5 years, 4 teams731516.1.376.326.7932.91.00.50.30.84.6

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

College

Source [19]

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

EuroLeague

Year [20] 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]

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. Archived from the original on February 13, 2016. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  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. ↑ "Kaila Charles, Juicy Landrum discuss joining Connecticut Sun". High Post Hoops. 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  6. ↑ "Connecticut Waives Kaila Charles". Connecticut Sun. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  7. ↑ New York Liberty [@nyliberty] (2022-05-06). "The New York Liberty announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Kaila Charles on a hardship contract" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-05-06– via Twitter.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ "Storm adds guard Kaila Charles". storm.wnba.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  10. ↑ "Meet the 2023 Seattle Storm". The Seattle Times. 2023-05-19. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  11. ↑ "Storm waives Kaila Charles". storm.wnba.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  12. ↑ "Dallas Wings Sign Kaila Charles, Joyner Holmes, Luisa Geiselsöder To Training Camp Contracts". wings.wnba.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  13. ↑ "Dallas Wings Announce Opening Day Roster". wings.wnba.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  14. ↑ Martinez, Matt (2025-06-14). "Wings trade for center Li Yueru; waive backup guard Kaila Charles". Mavs Moneyball. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  15. ↑ https://wings.wnba.com/news/dallas-wings-sign-kaila-charles-haley-jones-to-hardship-contracts
  16. ↑ Afseth, Grant (2025-06-30). "Dallas Wings Trade NaLyssa Smith to Las Vegas Aces, Waive Kaila Charles". Dallas Hoops Journal. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  17. ↑ "Kaila Charles a DVTK HUN-Therm játékosa". 4 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "Kaila Charles WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
  19. ↑ "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  20. ↑ "Kaila CHARLES at the EuroLeague Women 2023-24".
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