In the previous decade, former UConn women’s basketball star Tina Charles was among the first names listed by United States coaches Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley as they filled out their rosters for the FIBA Women’s World Cup.Â
Next month, a new generation of American stars led by UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark will look to win the country’s fifth straight World Cup title, while Charles will instead watch from the TNT Sports studio. Charles and her former Huskies teammate Renee Montgomery will serve as primary analysts for TNT Sports, as all 36 games will stream on HBO Max, with 17 televised on TNT and truTVÂ beginning Sept. 4.Â
“I've spent my career experiencing the game as a player, and now I get to take everything I've learned and translate it for the viewer,†Charles told Sports Business Journal on Tuesday. “I don't want to just tell somebody what happened. I want to help them understand why it happened and what that player is experiencing in that moment.â€
Montgomery was the first of the pair to reach Storrs, joining Auriemma’s squad as a freshman ahead of the 2005-06 campaign, while Charles came on board the following year as an instant-impact freshman. Both players reached All-American heights with UConn — Montgomery was selected No. 4 overall in the 2009 WNBA Draft, while Charles, the reigning National Player of the Year, was taken first in 2010.Â
After an 11-year professional playing career, Montgomery moved into broadcasting and ownership, purchasing a stake in the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream in 2021 after beginning her media career as a studio analyst for Fox Sports Southeast’s coverage of the Atlanta Hawks. Montgomery filled in on the CBS studio desk in place of Kenny Smith during the men’s NCAA Tournament earlier this year, ruffling some feathers back in Storrs as she predicted Duke to knock out UConn in the Elite Eight.
Charles, meanwhile, played her final WNBA season in 2025 after returning to Connecticut to close out an illustrious career. It’s her first major studio appearance, but Charles gained experience in the media world by directing and producing the feature-length documentary “Charlie's Records,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019. The film explores the life of her father, Rawlston “Charlie” Charles, and his influence on calypso and soca music through his Brooklyn record store and label.
