Former UConn women’s basketball star Tina Charles has rejoined the New York Liberty organization, this time hoping to help the WNBA franchise avenge last season’s playoff exit from the front office.
The Liberty celebrated Charles’ first day as an intern Tuesday afternoon as she gains real-world sports management experience while completing her master’s degree in the field at UConn. Like many interns on their first day, Charles was asked to jot down some biographical information, including her age (37), something she loves (beer), and who she’d like to be when she grows up (Liberty CEO Keia Clarke).
Charles spent the most productive stretch of her legendary WNBA career with New York, leaving the Connecticut Sun for the Liberty ahead of the 2014 season. The 6-foot-4 power forward finished inside the top-3 of MVP voting in three consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2017, averaging a decade-high 21.5 points per game in 2016 before earning her only first-team All-Defense selection the following year. However, Charles’ lofty production didn’t necessarily translate to team success, as New York posted a 98-106 record during her six active seasons with the franchise and reached the Eastern Conference Finals just once.
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A New York native, Charles remains one of the greatest players in UConn history, averaging 15.4 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game across her four seasons under Geno Auriemma, leading the program’s only consecutive 39-0 seasons in 2009 and 2010. Charles returned to Connecticut for the final year of her WNBA career, where she averaged 16.3 points a night for a rebuilding Sun squad and called it quits after the 2025 season.
She’s since returned to Storrs and quickly demonstrated her affinity for both the business world and high-quality beer, lauching 78 Brewing Co. earlier this year – the name refers to UConn’s perfect 78-0 record over her final two seasons with the program. Most recently, she serves as a studio host for TNT Sports’ coverage of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin.
This article originally published at Tina Charles joins New York Liberty as front office intern, pursuing UConn master’s degree.
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