Tina Charles Joins Liberty Front Office Internship After Retirement

Former New York Liberty star Tina Charles has started a front office internship with the franchise while pursuing a master's degree in sports management at the University of Connecticut, continuing her transition after retiring in May following a 14-season WNBA career.

According to Andscape, Charles is the Liberty's all-time leading scorer with 3,739 points from 2014-19 and also holds the franchise career rebounding record. She began the internship in September after contacting Liberty CEO Keia Clarke.

Charles said the internship reflects her focus on discovering her identity away from playing basketball.

"Actually, what I wanted there — I was like, 'Put Liberty intern,'" Charles said.

Charles previously imagined taking a full break from basketball after retirement but later worked as an analyst covering the WNBA and FIBA World Cup. She said those experiences changed how she viewed the sport.

"It's been really great just to get to know myself," Charles said. "I think I gave everything I could in the space of basketball on and off the court. Now, I just get to be Tina."

She described her earlier retirement expectation as needing complete distance from the game.

"Go under a rock and do my own thing," Charles said.

Charles said her analyst roles helped her understand basketball from another perspective.

"I think I fell in love with the game even more in a different way with a different understanding of it," Charles said.

Clarke accepted Charles' request to intern with the Liberty as Charles studies at UConn. The CEO said the opportunity provides exposure to the business side of a professional franchise.

"It was an absolute no-brainer," Clarke said.

Charles works in the Liberty office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, shadowing Clarke in operations, marketing, brands and partnerships meetings. She attends UConn classes in Storrs, Connecticut, on Wednesdays.

Clarke said Charles brings experience as a player, entrepreneur and leader while still having room to learn.

"For Tina, this experience is just another prong in that wheel. She's sort of a Jill of all trades," Clarke said. "I think coming from a space of [the] internship, while we sort of laugh and joke and we call her 'the legend slash intern' … really, it allows for space. There's air cover for her to ask questions — for her not to know everything — but also, at the same time, to be able to apply it to real businesses or real situations and real leadership opportunities that she's also executing."

Charles said front office work requires a different approach from the immediate decisions players make during games.

"When you're in the front office, you have to plan ahead. You have to be two, three months ahead of what your marketing plan is, brands and partnerships, players, experiences, just how everything ties together for it to be seamless," Charles said.

Clarke recalled Charles' reaction during a meeting about the Liberty's playoff opening video, where Charles learned how much preparation happens away from the court.

"I'm sort of watching other people's reaction in the room, and particularly I'm watching Tina's," Clarke said. "We walked out of that meeting and she said, 'I had no idea. Players have no idea.

We're in the arena. We hear the music. We see the videos, but we don't know how much goes into it.'"

Charles has also focused on player education in partnership initiatives based on her experience as an athlete.

"As a player, you go into your locker room and there's a gift," Charles said. "There's products for you to use, but we're not given the explanation of when or why we should use it, or why it's important for us to engage and want to make the partnership what the organization was hoping it would become. So, education is very important."