Connecticut Sun's Tina Charles Wins Second Dawn Staley Leadership Award

Tina Charles, a 36-year-old Connecticut Sun center and former UConn star, has been honored with the 2025 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award for her exceptional commitment to service, social justice, and community impact. This marks the second time Charles has received the award, first earning it in 2012, the year she was named WNBA MVP. She founded the Hopey’s Heart Foundation in 2013 to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and provide Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to public facilities, recently placing the 500th AED with support from a $20,000 pledge by Yale New Haven Health. The WNBA will donate $10,000 to her foundation, which also received recognition from the Connecticut Governor's Office proclaiming September 6 as "Hopey’s Heart Day." Charles has used her platform to advocate for racial and social justice and community safety, including launching sports safety clinics and engaging fans through a rebounding challenge that supports her foundation. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert praised Charles for her ongoing legacy of leadership and meaningful community contributions on and off the court.