Kaila Charles Bio
Kaila Charles (born March 23, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Valkyries of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Reyer Venezia of the Lega Basket Femminile. She played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins. She was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. She also previously played for the Atlanta Dream, Seattle Storm, and Dallas Wings in the WNBA.
Early Life and Background
Kaila 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 record of 72 wins and 5 losses. While at Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles’ teams won two Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class AAAA state championships in 2014 and 2015. She earned Washington Post All-Metro honors as a sophomore and junior. For her senior year, she transferred to Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro and helped the team reach a national championship game. Charles was a McDonald’s and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American selection as a senior and received All-Metro Player of the Year honors from The Washington Post. Charles was ranked as the 25th best player in her national class by ESPN and the Collegiate Girls Report. She was a highly sought player as a five-star recruit, receiving over 30 scholarship offers. Ultimately, she signed with Brenda Frese and the Maryland Terrapins over other prominent programs like Tennessee and South Carolina.
Path to Basketball
Charles began her collegiate career at the University of Maryland, where she quickly made an impact. In her freshman season (2016-2017), she earned a double-double in her first game and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. As a sophomore (2017-2018), she was named a Preseason All-Big Ten team member and became the third player in program history to score 600 points as a second-year player. Her average of 17.9 points per game remains the highest ever for a Maryland sophomore. She earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week honors during this season and finished as a First Team All-Big Ten selection. In her junior season (2018-2019), Charles continued to excel, receiving Player of the Week honors and finishing the season with Associated Press and WBCA Honorable Mention All-American honors. She was also a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection and appeared on the watchlist for the Wade Trophy. By her senior season (2019-2020), she was named an AP Preseason All-American and the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. Charles finished her Maryland career by winning the 2020 Big Ten women’s basketball tournament, becoming one of six players in program history to rank in the top ten for both scoring and rebounding.
Kaila Charles Career
Early Career (2020-2021)
Kaila Charles was drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the 23rd pick in the second round of the 2020 WNBA draft. In her rookie year, she appeared in 21 games for the Sun, starting seven. Charles averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds over 17.9 minutes per game. Despite being the seventh seed in the 2020 WNBA Playoffs, the Sun made it to the semifinals before losing to the Las Vegas Aces in five games.
Breakthrough (2022-2023)
After being waived by the Connecticut Sun on May 5, 2022, Charles joined the New York Liberty on a hardship contract. However, she was released shortly after without appearing in any games. On August 12, 2022, she signed with the Atlanta Dream on another hardship contract but played only two minutes in one game. In February 2023, she signed a training camp contract with the Seattle Storm, making the opening day roster and appearing in four games before being waived on June 8. In February 2025, Charles signed a training camp contract with the Dallas Wings, making the opening day roster and appearing in 17 games, averaging 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. On August 1, 2025, she signed a seven-day hardship contract with the Golden State Valkyries and later signed a rest-of-season contract with the team.
Notable Works and Milestones
Throughout her career, Kaila Charles has been recognized for her achievements, including being named Third-team All-American by the Associated Press and the United States Basketball Writers Association in 2020. She is also a three-time First-team All-Big Ten selection and was part of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2017.
Kaila Charles Award Nominations
Kaila Charles has received several nominations and honors throughout her basketball career, including multiple selections to All-Big Ten teams and All-American honors.
Kaila Charles Awards Won
Kaila Charles has won notable awards during her career, including being named to the Third-team All-American list in 2020 and earning three First-team All-Big Ten selections from 2018 to 2020.
Kaila Charles Family
Kaila Charles comes from a family with a strong athletic background. Her mother, Ruperta Charles, competed in the 100-meter dash at the 1984 Summer Olympics for Antigua and Barbuda after attending Howard University. She has three older siblings, including her sister Afia, who 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.
Personal Life
Details about Kaila Charles’s personal life are limited, but her family’s athletic accomplishments highlight a legacy of sports excellence. As she continues her professional basketball career, she remains focused on her performance on the court and her contributions to her teams.