Spring Break
Charles back in charge
After an inconsistent '08 postseason, Tina Charles is poised to take over in '09
Mike Northup
Issue date: 3/19/09 Section: March Madness
For UConn center Tina Charles, the 2008 postseason was one filled with inconsistencies and disappointments. After a poor showing in the 2008 Big East title game, coach Geno Auriemma relegated the sophomore Charles to the bench for the first time all year, and kept her out of the starting lineup for all five of the Huskies' NCAA Tournament games.
A year later, however, Auriemma sees a different player, one ready to make her stamp on the NCAA Tournament. And a great deal of that change has as much to do with what is going on inside her head as what is happening on the floor for Charles, now a junior.
"She's got a different aura about her right now," Auriemma said. "I hope that we can sustain that. She just has a different look to her right now. I just hope that, because she's a little bit older and because she's had some disappointments in the NCAA Tournament, that that kind of drives her to do more of what she did tonight [in the Big East Championship title game]."
What she did was dominate Louisville with 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Huskies defeated the Cardinals for the second straight year in the Big East Championship finals. The double-double was a huge improvement over her performance in the title game just one year prior.
Coming off of strong games against DePaul in the quarterfinals and Pittsburgh in the semifinals, Charles looked poised for yet another big performance against Louisville in the 2008 championship game. The Huskies won 65-59, but Charles struggled all night, scoring just eight points on 2-of-6 shooting, while committing four turnovers in 23 minutes, her lowest total of the tournament.
The performance earned Charles a one-way ticket to the bench for the start of the NCAA Tournament.
In the NCAA Tournament, Charles saw her minutes dwindle, dipping to just 19 for two out of the first three games. She averaged just 10 points and 8.4 rebounds over the course of the tournament, including just nine points and six rebounds in the Huskies' 82-73 loss to Stanford in the Final Four.
A year later, however, Auriemma sees a different player, one ready to make her stamp on the NCAA Tournament. And a great deal of that change has as much to do with what is going on inside her head as what is happening on the floor for Charles, now a junior.
"She's got a different aura about her right now," Auriemma said. "I hope that we can sustain that. She just has a different look to her right now. I just hope that, because she's a little bit older and because she's had some disappointments in the NCAA Tournament, that that kind of drives her to do more of what she did tonight [in the Big East Championship title game]."
What she did was dominate Louisville with 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Huskies defeated the Cardinals for the second straight year in the Big East Championship finals. The double-double was a huge improvement over her performance in the title game just one year prior.
Coming off of strong games against DePaul in the quarterfinals and Pittsburgh in the semifinals, Charles looked poised for yet another big performance against Louisville in the 2008 championship game. The Huskies won 65-59, but Charles struggled all night, scoring just eight points on 2-of-6 shooting, while committing four turnovers in 23 minutes, her lowest total of the tournament.
The performance earned Charles a one-way ticket to the bench for the start of the NCAA Tournament.
In the NCAA Tournament, Charles saw her minutes dwindle, dipping to just 19 for two out of the first three games. She averaged just 10 points and 8.4 rebounds over the course of the tournament, including just nine points and six rebounds in the Huskies' 82-73 loss to Stanford in the Final Four.
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