Liberty players look back on Tina Charles’ Hall of Fame career: ‘She’s had such an impact’

“And Tina was someone that was definitely kind of bringing me under her wing, helping me understand the game, playing with different players that I’ve been with before, and making sure that I had fun while doing it. I’m just honored to be able to play with her, obviously playing against her a ton, and she’s showing one of the best to ever do it.”

Charles’ mentorship stretched to other current WNBA hoopers, including current Liberty star Jonquel Jones.

“She’s one of the vets that always checked on me, that always was in my ear about what I could do to make my game better,” Jones said. “And so just hats off to her for a historical career. A legendary career. I’m sure she has a lot of great things lined up for the next chapter.”

Charles’ playing days with the Liberty came before the sellout crowds of Barclays Center and pro-player movement initiated by owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai.

She played her first four seasons with the Liberty in Madison Square Garden before then-owner James Dolan dumped the franchise and they were left to play the next two years at the Westchester County Center — a 2,000-seat venue nowhere near suitable for a professional hoops team.

It was there where Charles crossed paths with Marine Johannes, a rookie guard from France.

“Yeah, 2019. Not an easy season for the team,” Johannes said. The guard still considers that season as “something special,” while playing with Charles, who Johannes described as the “superstar of the team.”

“Most of the times, the offense was going to her,” she added.

Charles is a star off the court, too.

Her charity Hopey’s Heart Foundation, named after her late aunt who died of multiple organ failure in 2013, is responsible for saving lives. The foundation has donated 500 automated external defibrillators, per the Associated Press, in an effort to curb sudden cardiac arrests in the United States.

“You can see the rest of the basketball community and world has celebrated her,” said Rebecca Allen, who played with Charles during her first stint in New York, “which is something she really, really deserves. But she’s had such an impact on New York, an impact on the WNBA and everyone that she’s played with. So I really hope that she’s taking a moment for herself to really pause and reflect, because there’s so much to be grateful for.”

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