Kaila Charles Bio
Kaila Charles, born March 23, 1998, is an American professional basketball player who competes for the Golden State Valkyries of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Reyer Venezia of the Lega Basket Femminile in Italy. She played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins before being selected by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. Across her professional career she has also worn the uniforms of the Atlanta Dream, Seattle Storm, Dallas Wings, New York Liberty, and DVTK HUN-Therm in Hungary.
Early Life and Background
Kaila Charles was born on March 23, 1998, in Glenn Dale, Maryland, and grew up in the close-knit Prince George’s County community that borders the nation’s capital. She is the daughter of Ruperta Charles, a former Howard University sprinter who represented Antigua and Barbuda in the 100-meter dash at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Charles has three older siblings, and athletics runs deep in the family: her sister Afia ran track at the University of Central Florida and competed at the 2012 London Olympics for Antigua and Barbuda, while her brother Akil played basketball at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada.
For her first three years of high school, Charles attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in nearby Greenbelt, Maryland, where her teams posted a combined 72-5 record. During that stretch she helped Eleanor Roosevelt win Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class AAAA state championships in 2014 and 2015, and she earned Washington Post All-Metro honors as both a sophomore and a junior. Before her senior year she transferred to Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, where she helped lead the program to a national championship game and cemented her status as one of the top recruits in the country.
Path to Basketball
As a senior Charles was recognized as a McDonald’s All-American and a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American, and she collected Washington Post All-Metro Player of the Year honors. National recruiting services ranked her among the elite prospects of her class, with ESPN and the Collegiate Girls Report tabbing her as the 25th-best player and the All Star Girls Report listing her as high as 21st. She drew more than 30 scholarship offers before committing to nearby Maryland, choosing the Terrapins over programs such as Tennessee and South Carolina.
Kaila Charles Career
Early Career (2016-2020)
Charles arrived at Maryland in 2016 and made an immediate impact, opening her freshman season with a double-double and earning a steady role in the rotation. Her strong play led to a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and she built on that foundation as a sophomore by becoming the third player in program history to reach 600 points as a second-year player. That year she averaged 17.9 points per game, the highest scoring average ever recorded by a Maryland sophomore, and she was named a First Team All-Big Ten selection.
As a junior in 2018-19, Charles was honored as Big Ten Player of the Week in February and finished the year as a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten pick. She was also an Associated Press and WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award. Entering her senior season she was named an AP Preseason All-American and the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, and she wrapped up her Maryland career by helping the Terrapins win the 2020 Big Ten Tournament championship. She departed as one of only six Maryland players ranked in the program’s top ten in both scoring and rebounding, finishing sixth in each category, and she tied Alyssa Thomas’ school record by starting all 135 games of her career.
WNBA Career (2020-Present)
Charles was selected 23rd overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2020 WNBA draft and appeared in 21 games during her rookie season, starting seven. She averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game, and although the seventh-seeded Sun reached the semifinals before falling to the Las Vegas Aces in five games, Charles had cemented her place in the league. After two seasons in Connecticut she was waived on May 5, 2022, briefly joined the New York Liberty on a hardship contract two days later without appearing in a game, and then signed with the Atlanta Dream on August 12, 2022, where she logged two minutes in a single contest.
Charles signed a training camp contract with the Seattle Storm on February 6, 2023, made the opening day roster, and appeared in four games before being waived on June 8. The following February she signed another training camp deal with the Dallas Wings on February 2, 2025, and again made the opening day roster. After being waived on June 14, she returned to Dallas on a hardship contract on June 17 and was released again on June 30, finishing her Dallas stint with 17 games played and averages of 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. On August 1, 2025, Charles signed a seven-day hardship contract with the expansion Golden State Valkyries, and on August 22 she signed a rest-of-season contract to remain with the franchise.
Overseas Career (2023-Present)
Following the 2023 WNBA season, Charles signed with Hungarian club DVTK HUN-Therm to compete in the EuroLeague beginning on July 4, 2023. She returned to Europe in 2025, signing with Reyer Venezia of Italy’s Lega Basket Femminile for the 2025-26 season, where she continues to play alongside her WNBA commitments.
Driving Style and Strengths
Charles is known for her scoring versatility, rebounding tenacity, and the durability that allowed her to start every game of her Maryland career. Her ability to play both inside and on the perimeter, combined with her length on the wing, makes her a flexible piece for coaches looking for a reliable veteran contributor.
Notable Events and Milestones
Charles tied Alyssa Thomas’ Maryland record with 135 consecutive starts, was a three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, and helped the Terrapins capture the 2020 Big Ten Tournament title. In the professional ranks she has played in the WNBA playoffs as a rookie and has represented the league abroad with stints in Hungary and Italy.
Kaila Charles Career Wins
Kaila Charles has put together a professional resume that blends steady WNBA service with international experience. While she has not claimed a WNBA championship or a major individual league award, her college hardware includes a Big Ten tournament title, three First Team All-Big Ten nods, and McDonald’s All-American recognition.
WNBA Highlights
Charles’ most notable WNBA season came as a rookie in 2020, when she helped the seventh-seeded Connecticut Sun reach the semifinals before falling to the Las Vegas Aces in five games. She has since appeared in regular-season games for the Atlanta Dream, Seattle Storm, Dallas Wings, and Golden State Valkyries, and she has produced double-digit scoring efforts on multiple occasions as a perimeter and post option.
Other Wins & Performances
At Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Charles helped win two Maryland Class AAAA state championships in 2014 and 2015. She later led Riverdale Baptist to a national championship game as a senior, and at Maryland she was part of the 2020 Big Ten Tournament championship team.
Kaila Charles Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Basketball and track have long been family pursuits for Charles. Her mother, Ruperta Charles, was a sprinter at Howard University and represented Antigua and Barbuda at the 1984 Summer Olympics in the 100-meter dash. Her sister Afia competed in track and field at the University of Central Florida and represented Antigua and Barbuda at the 2012 London Olympics, while her brother Akil played basketball at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Personal Life
Kaila Charles maintains close ties to her family and credits her mother and siblings for instilling the discipline that has shaped her basketball career. She continues to build her professional path with stops in both the WNBA and overseas leagues.
2025 Season Performance
Kaila Charles opened 2025 by signing a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings on February 2 and earning a roster spot out of camp. She appeared in 17 games for Dallas, posting averages of 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds, before being waived on June 14 and then re-signed to a hardship contract on June 17. After a final release on June 30, Charles signed a seven-day hardship deal with the Golden State Valkyries on August 1 and converted to a rest-of-season contract on August 22, giving her a stable home for the back half of her WNBA campaign.
On the international side, Charles joined Reyer Venezia of Italy’s Lega Basket Femminile for the 2025-26 season, balancing her WNBA schedule with high-level competition in Europe. The dual commitment has allowed her to refine her game against experienced professionals while extending her playing calendar.