Tina Charles is in her senior year as a Center for the UConn Huskies. She’s been playing basketball since she was in second grade. “My mom said I was always active so she got me on an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team and that just got me going, playing a lot of basketball.”

Tina’s most memorable moments while at UConn all surround her relationship with Coach Auriemma. He’s always been tough on Tina because he knows how great she can be. Tina said, “The time Coach told me to pack up my stuff and go back [home], and the drilling and yelling that it took for me to make it this far, to become the player that I always wanted to be, are all memorable experiences.

Tina became interested in UConn basketball while watching the years of Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Diana Tauriasi win National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships. She made her decision to come to UConn because she liked what Coach Auriemma had said. “He told me the only way I was going to be able to play was if I worked hard so I knew he was going to be a person that pushed me, and that’s what I need.”

For Tina the transition from high school to college was more mental than physical. She felt somewhat prepared physically but had to make some adjustments mentally.

Final Four Bound: “To get back to the final four again is going to be a lot harder, a lot of hard work. Everyone is going to have to show up every night and step up their game.”