Sun center Tina Charles receives Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award Heather Burns, USA TODAYSeptember 10, 2025 at 11:00 PM 0 Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles received the WNBA's Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award on Wednesday.
- - Sun center Tina Charles receives Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award
Heather Burns, USA TODAYSeptember 10, 2025 at 11:00 PM
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Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles received the WNBA's Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award on Wednesday.
Charles is being honored with the award for the second time in her career. She also won in 2012, the year she was named WNBA MVP. The award, named after South Carolina coach and WNBA legend Dawn Staley, honors a WNBA player who best exemplifies the characteristics of a leader in the community where they work or live.
Charles, 36, founded Hopey's Heart Foundation in 2013 in honor of her late aunt, Maureen "Hopey" Vaz, to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest. Charles will reach a milestone this year, placing the 500th automated external defibrillator (AED) through her foundation.
"Through my mother at a young age, I learned the importance of being a servant unto others, and receiving the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award is truly special for me — especially for Hopey's Heart Foundation to receive this honor through its work in raising awareness for sudden cardiac arrest," Charles said. "I started the foundation in April of 2013 and never thought its impact would cast as wide as it has. I'm thankful to everyone who has supported the foundation along the way."
Charles also launched Hopey's Week, a series of sports safety clinics focused on concussion prevention and injury awareness, in New York City. She has also been a vocal advocate for racial and social justice, using her platform to elevate community voices and push for systemic change.
"Throughout her remarkable career, Tina has consistently used her platform to raise awareness and drive meaningful change," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. "Her dedication to service, advocacy, and giving back to the community reflects the values that define our league. Tina continues to build a legacy that will inspire generations to come."
A designated committee selected Charles as the winner of the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award. The WNBA will make a $10,000 donation to Charles' charitable foundation, Hopey's Heart Foundation.
Charles returned to the team that drafted her back in 2010, the Sun, this season. She is averaging 16.5 points and 5.9 rebounds.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sun center Tina Charles wins Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award
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