Tina Charles (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Tina Charles is an American
women's basketball
player with the Connecticut Sun
of the Women's National Basketball Association
and the Galatasaray Medical Park of the TWBL
. Originally from Jamaica, New York
, Charles was drafted 1st overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft
. In 2009 and 2010, she and teammate Maya Moore
led the Connecticut Huskies to two undefeated national championships.
in Middle Village, New York
. After averaging 26.5 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.2 blocked shots per game her senior year, she was named WBCA
National Player of the Year, “Miss Basketball” for New York state, and was selected as a McDonald’s All-American and tabbed New York City Player of the Year by Newsday, the Daily News and the New York Post. Charles was the leading scorer on the Christ the King team that won 57 consecutive games, leading to a USA Today #1 ranking in the country after an undefeated season in 2006. Charles was named a WBCA
All-American. She participated in the 2006 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored fifteen points and had twelve rebounds.
Charles was named the MVP of the Red team. During high school, Charles also played on the AAU
club basketball team the New York Gazelles.
Charles made a comment to ESPN
during a post-championship interview, in regards to the tradition of sports champions who visit the White House after their title game victories. She said, "Barack Obama
, we will be here soon!" and after the 2010 championship she made a comment, "President Barack Obama, we're back!"
On February 13, 2010, before the game vs. St. John's, Charles became the 12th UConn Women's basketball player to be recognized in the Huskies of Honor
and was the 2nd player to be honored while still a player. The first was Renee Montgomery
the year before.
On March 1, 2010, during a game against Notre Dame
, Charles broke two UConn records on the same night. Her fifth rebound made her the all-time leading rebounder at UConn, surpassing Rebecca Lobo
's fifteen year-old record of 1268. Lobo was present working as a commentator for ESPN, and interviewed Charles after the game. Additionally, Charles started the night in third place in career scoring, behind Kerry Bascom
and Nykesha Sales
. Sales had scored 2,178 points and Bascom 2,177 in their careers. During the game, Charles surpassed both to become the leading scorer in UConn history.
Charles was named the Big East Conference Player of the Year for 2010.
Charles is majoring in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. She anticipates working in corrections at the close of her basketball career. In 2010, she is spending six hours a week as an intern at Bergin Correctional Institution, helping prisoners adjust back to life in society.
.
Charles was named the 2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year. In her first season, she set all-time league records for rebounds, with 398, and double-double with 22. (both scoring and rebounds in double digits).
On 2 September 2011, Tina Charles had 10 points, 10 assists and 16 rebounds for the first triple-double in Connecticut Sun history, and only the fifth such accomplishment in WNBA history. Charles had eight assist at halftime, and was taken out of the game with nine, because the lead over the opponent was so large. The coach did put her back in the game in the fourth quarter, and she earned an assist on a pass to Jessica Moore, leading to the triple double.However, subsequent review by the league resulted in a change, as three of the assist should not have been credited to Charles, so she ended the game with seven assists, not ten.
On October 5, 2009, Charles was selected to be one of the USA National Team members to travel to the 2009 Ekaterinburg International Invitational. She was the only college player on the team. Charles contributed to the USA Basketball win at the Ekaterinburg Tournament. She had double-digit scoring in all three games, with the second game, against Euroleasing Sopron, her best result, scoring 15 points in only 13 minutes of play.
Charles was named the USA Basketball 2009 Female Athlete Of The Year, for her contributions to the Gold Medal earned at the 2009 USA Women's World University Games, the Gold Medal earned at the 2009 Ekaterinburg International Invitational, and the undefeated collegiate season leading to a National Championship.
Charles was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball. This game replaces the normal WNBA All-Star game with WNBA All-Stars versus USA Basketball, as part of the preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Women
to be held in the Czech Republic
during September and October 2010.
| align="left" | 2010
| align="left" | Connecticut
| 34 || 34 || 31.0 || .487 || .000 || .763 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|11.7 || 1.5 || 0.7 || 1.7 || 2.09 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" | 2011
| align="left" | Connecticut
| 34 || 34 || 33.4 || .468 || .000 || .687 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|11.0 || 1.9 || 0.8 || 1.8 || 2.21 || 17.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |2 years, 1 team
| 68 || 68 || 32.2 || .476 || .000 || .727 || 11.4 || 1.7 || 0.8 || 1.7 || 2.15 || 16.6
| align="left" | 2011
| align="left" | Connecticut
| || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |1 year, 1 team
| || || || || || || || || || || ||
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
women's basketball
Women's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
player with the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
of the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
and the Galatasaray Medical Park of the TWBL
Turkish Women's Basketball League
The Turkish Women’s Basketball League is the top women’s professional basketball league in Turkey organized by the Turkish Basketball Federation. The women’s league started in 1980...
. Originally from Jamaica, New York
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
, Charles was drafted 1st overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft
2010 WNBA Draft
The 2010 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 8, 2010. The first round was shown on ESPN2 , while the second and third rounds were shown on NBA TV and ESPNU.A lottery was...
. In 2009 and 2010, she and teammate Maya Moore
Maya Moore
Maya April Moore is an American basketball forward for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA and Ros Casares Valencia of Euroleague. Moore was the winner of the 2006 and 2007 Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was selected as the John Wooden Award winner in 2009 after leading Connecticut to the...
led the Connecticut Huskies to two undefeated national championships.
High school
Charles played basketball at Christ the King High SchoolChrist The King Regional High School
Christ the King Regional High School is a Catholic high school located in Middle Village, Queens, New York, USA and established in 1962. Often referred to as 'CK' among its students, it is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.-History:...
in Middle Village, New York
Middle Village, Queens
Middle Village is a neighborhood in central Queens, a borough of New York City. The neighborhood is located in the western central section of Queens, bounded to the north by Eliot Avenue, to the east by Woodhaven Boulevard, to the south by Cooper Avenue, and to the west by Fresh Pond Road...
. After averaging 26.5 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.2 blocked shots per game her senior year, she was named WBCA
Women's Basketball Coaches Association
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels.The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches.The mission of the WBCA is:...
National Player of the Year, “Miss Basketball” for New York state, and was selected as a McDonald’s All-American and tabbed New York City Player of the Year by Newsday, the Daily News and the New York Post. Charles was the leading scorer on the Christ the King team that won 57 consecutive games, leading to a USA Today #1 ranking in the country after an undefeated season in 2006. Charles was named a WBCA
Women's Basketball Coaches Association
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels.The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches.The mission of the WBCA is:...
All-American. She participated in the 2006 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored fifteen points and had twelve rebounds.
Charles was named the MVP of the Red team. During high school, Charles also played on the AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
club basketball team the New York Gazelles.
College
In 2009, Charles led the UConn Huskies to a national title as a junior. She was named Final Four MOP and one of the 10 players on the State Farm All-America team during Final Four weekend.Charles made a comment to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
during a post-championship interview, in regards to the tradition of sports champions who visit the White House after their title game victories. She said, "Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, we will be here soon!" and after the 2010 championship she made a comment, "President Barack Obama, we're back!"
On February 13, 2010, before the game vs. St. John's, Charles became the 12th UConn Women's basketball player to be recognized in the Huskies of Honor
Huskies of Honor
Huskies of Honor is a recognition program sponsored by the University of Connecticut . Similar to a hall of fame, it honors the most significant figures in the history of the Connecticut Huskies—the university's athletic teams—especially the men's and women's basketball teams...
and was the 2nd player to be honored while still a player. The first was Renee Montgomery
Renee Montgomery
Renee Danielle Montgomery is an American basketball player who won a national championship with the UConn Huskies in 2009. She currently plays for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-High school:...
the year before.
On March 1, 2010, during a game against Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Charles broke two UConn records on the same night. Her fifth rebound made her the all-time leading rebounder at UConn, surpassing Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
's fifteen year-old record of 1268. Lobo was present working as a commentator for ESPN, and interviewed Charles after the game. Additionally, Charles started the night in third place in career scoring, behind Kerry Bascom
Kerry Bascom
Kerry Bascom is a retired basketball player. She played forward and center for the Connecticut Huskies from 1987–1991, scoring 2,177 points, a school record until broken in 1998 by Nykesha Sales...
and Nykesha Sales
Nykesha Sales
Nykesha Simone Sales is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Connecticut Sun. Her primary position is the small forward. Her second position is shooting guard. In 1999 Sales was added to the roster of the USA FIBA Senior National Team team...
. Sales had scored 2,178 points and Bascom 2,177 in their careers. During the game, Charles surpassed both to become the leading scorer in UConn history.
Charles is majoring in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. She anticipates working in corrections at the close of her basketball career. In 2010, she is spending six hours a week as an intern at Bergin Correctional Institution, helping prisoners adjust back to life in society.
WNBA
Charles was the overall #1 pick in the 2010 WNBA draft, selected by the Connecticut SunConnecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
.
Charles was named the 2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year. In her first season, she set all-time league records for rebounds, with 398, and double-double with 22. (both scoring and rebounds in double digits).
On 2 September 2011, Tina Charles had 10 points, 10 assists and 16 rebounds for the first triple-double in Connecticut Sun history, and only the fifth such accomplishment in WNBA history. Charles had eight assist at halftime, and was taken out of the game with nine, because the lead over the opponent was so large. The coach did put her back in the game in the fourth quarter, and she earned an assist on a pass to Jessica Moore, leading to the triple double.However, subsequent review by the league resulted in a change, as three of the assist should not have been credited to Charles, so she ended the game with seven assists, not ten.
USA Basketball
Charles was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009, one of only three college players invited to the training camp. The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants.On October 5, 2009, Charles was selected to be one of the USA National Team members to travel to the 2009 Ekaterinburg International Invitational. She was the only college player on the team. Charles contributed to the USA Basketball win at the Ekaterinburg Tournament. She had double-digit scoring in all three games, with the second game, against Euroleasing Sopron, her best result, scoring 15 points in only 13 minutes of play.
Charles was named the USA Basketball 2009 Female Athlete Of The Year, for her contributions to the Gold Medal earned at the 2009 USA Women's World University Games, the Gold Medal earned at the 2009 Ekaterinburg International Invitational, and the undefeated collegiate season leading to a National Championship.
Charles was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball. This game replaces the normal WNBA All-Star game with WNBA All-Stars versus USA Basketball, as part of the preparation for the FIBA World Championship for Women
FIBA World Championship for Women
The FIBA World Championship for Women is a world basketball tournament for women's national teams held quadrennially...
to be held in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
during September and October 2010.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
| align="left" | Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
| 34 || 34 || 31.0 || .487 || .000 || .763 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|11.7 || 1.5 || 0.7 || 1.7 || 2.09 || 15.5
|-
| align="left" | 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
| align="left" | Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
| 34 || 34 || 33.4 || .468 || .000 || .687 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|11.0 || 1.9 || 0.8 || 1.8 || 2.21 || 17.6
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |2 years, 1 team
| 68 || 68 || 32.2 || .476 || .000 || .727 || 11.4 || 1.7 || 0.8 || 1.7 || 2.15 || 16.6
Postseason
|-| align="left" | 2011
2011 WNBA Playoffs
The 2011 WNBA Playoffs is the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2011 season. Four teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs seeded 1 to 4 in a tournament bracket, with the two opening rounds in a best-of-three format, and the final in a...
| align="left" | Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
| || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |1 year, 1 team
| || || || || || || || || || || ||
Awards and honors
- 2006 USA Today National Player of the Year
- 2006 McDonald's National Player of the Year
- 2006 Parade Magazine National Player of the Year
- 2006 Gatorade National Player of the Year
- 2006 WBCAWomen's Basketball Coaches AssociationThe Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels.The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches.The mission of the WBCA is:...
National Player of the Year - 2006 EA Sports National Player of the Year
- 2006 Miss New York Basketball
- 2009 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year
- 2010 All-BIG EAST First Team (unanimous)
- 2010 Big East Player of the Year
- 2010 AP All-America First Team
- 2010 U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Player of the Year.
- 2010 State Farm Coaches' All-America Team
- 2010 #1 selection in 2010 WNBA draft
- 2010 John R. Wooden AwardJohn R. Wooden AwardThe John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
winner - 2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year
- 2010 All-WNBA Second Team