"Just took us showing her how to work hard": When Geno Auriemma shared his thoughts about Tina Charles at the 2010 WNBA Draft

At the 2010 WNBA Draft, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma looked back on Tina Charles’ incredible journey after she was selected first overall by the Connecticut Sun.

During an April 2010 interview after the draft, Auriemma discussed Tina’s drive and how badly she wanted it all.

“Tina wanted to be the best,” he said. “She wanted this — to win a national championship, to be the number one pick. Once a player sets big goals like that, it becomes a little easier to reach them. We just had to show her how to work hard. Tina did the rest.”

Tina spent four years at UConn, leading the team from the paint and helping them win consecutive national titles in 2009 and 2010.

She left as one of the most decorated players the program had ever seen. In her final season, she was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player and earned a spot on the 10-player State Farm All-America team.

That same year, she was voted national college player of the year and became just the second active player to be inducted into UConn’s Huskies of Honor, joining Renee Montgomery.

She did not miss a beat after turning pro, as Tina dominated the WNBA and won Rookie of the Year, breaking league records for total rebounds (398) and double-doubles (22) in a single season, demonstrating the same hunger and consistency she had in college.

Speaking about UConn’s perfect 39-0 run in the 2009-2010 season, Auriemma admitted it was not easy and revealed how emotionally draining it was for him and the team.

“It was an unbelievable season. It was tough and took a lot out of us,” he said. “But when you’re going through it, you don’t even realise how hard it is. You don’t see how much it’s draining you or your team emotionally. Looking back, it was all worth it. They say you sleep when you’re dead — so we don’t need rest, we just need to keep going. Hopefully, we’ll try to do it again next year.”

UConn won it all that season, just like they did the season before in 2008-09 when they also went unbeaten.

What Geno Auremmia and UConn women’s basketball achieved in 2009-10

The Huskies won their seventh NCAA title that year, beating Stanford in the national championship game on April 6, 2010, to mark the 78th straight win for the team.

Geno was named the Big East Coach of the Year, while Kalana Greene joined Tina as the other UConn player selected in the draft, picked by the New York Liberty.

Greene was also named the Big East Tournament's most outstanding player, and she made the All-Big East First Team.

Tiffany Hayes was selected for the All-Big East Second Team, while Kelly Faris was named to the All-Big East Freshman Team.