By John Altavilla
GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Around the time her first child was born, Tina Charles’ grandmother decided her infant daughter, Maureen, should also have a symbolic sobriquet that would properly convey the family’s joy.
“She gave her a nickname, Hopey, because she brought hope to the family as its first born,” said Charles, the five-time WNBA All-Star now in her fifth season with the New York Liberty.
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It turned out to be a prophetic gesture. From all accounts, Hopey’s life was one of unflinching service and caring, first in her homeland, Jamaica, then in New York City where she migrated in 1978. Reunited with her sister Angella, Charles’ mother, Hopey married Bertrell Vaz and had her own children, Christopher and Jacquelyn, before moving to Florida in 1991 to be closer to the bulk of her family.
It was in Florida where Hopey’s inherent disposition really shined brightest. For two decades, she served the Cooper City Church of God, an usher and greeter known for her smile and endearing nature.
“She lived in Florida and I lived in New York, but we’d always have family group chats with my mother and all of her sisters and her brother,” said Charles. “My relationship with her was always there. She was a supportive, God-fearing woman who never gave up.
“She always reminded me to put God first in everything that I do, to always remember that he keeps his promises and to be patient, not to rush the process or take anything into my own hands. That’s who my aunt was. I thought I could identify with her because of her wisdom.”
As Charles became the national high school player of the year at Christ the King High in Middle Village, N.Y. and go on to win two national championships (2009 and 2010) on undefeated UConn teams, her aunt Hopey remained a constant source of support. Months after Charles was drafted first overall by the Connecticut Sun, Vaz accompanied her to the 2010 FIBA World Championships in the Czech Republic since her parents were unable to attend.
“I have many memories of her [Hopey] being there and spending time with my mother. They hung out together, had their moms’ group going on,” said Maya Moore, a former teammate of Charles at UConn. “I feel more connected (to Hopey) just because of the time I got to spend with her there.”
In March 2011, Michigan high school basketball player Wes Leonard died suddenly of cardiac arrest after making a game-winning shot in overtime. The story, which made nationwide headlines, affected Charles, who had finished her rookie season with the Sun months earlier. She immediately donated $14,775 to the Wes Leonard Heart Foundation and began thinking about how to use her platform someday to help prevent another such tragedy.
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“It intrigued me. I had no idea at the time what sudden cardiac arrest was,” said Charles. “I had never heard of an AED (automated external defibrillator). But I knew I didn’t want that to happen to myself or anyone else that I knew. So, I just took money from my own hands.”
Two years after Leonard’s death, Charles was affected by a much more personal tragedy. After a long illness, Maureen ‘Hopey’ Vaz died of multiple organ failure on March 9, 2013. In her grief, Charles’ mind began to race. What could she do? How could she help? How might she keep her aunt’s name alive?
“I had been very giving before my aunt’s death, but then I decided after it that I wanted to focus my efforts on (donating AEDs),” said Charles.
With the help of her mother, Charles started “Hopey’s Heart Foundation” in April 2013, a charity that would devote itself to the distribution of AEDs worldwide. And she began it with a gesture that still continues five years later, pledging half of her annual WNBA salary.
“By donating my WNBA salary, I have been able to place these devices all over the world,” said Charles. “The mission of my organization is not relative to how my aunt passed away. I wanted to show with my heart what Hopey’s heart really meant.”
Swin Cash, a former UConn star who enjoyed a long WNBA career before being named the Liberty’s director of franchise development in 2017, is not surprised about Charles’ dedication to philanthropy.
“I remember when Tina was trying to figure out what she wanted to do, how to get involved,” said Cash. “I told her at that time to determine what her passion was.”
Over the years, Charles has distributed 338 AEDs globally. Along with her mother, she reviews applications from organizations seeking a device that can cost up to $1,600.
“Tina just goes above and beyond when it comes to treating others the way you want to be treated, looking out for the interests of others more than your own,” said Moore. “She is really walking the walk. She is somebody who is not doing this for the attention. I know this has come from a real genuine place in her heart. And it makes me feel great to know that she’s been able to save lives and will continue to inspire and educate others in that area. It seems like something so small. But having one of those in someone’s gym can save a life. And it already has.”
In July 2017, Dan Carlson, 59, the head of landscaping for a 200-acre residential complex in Texas, suddenly collapsed after suffering a heart attack.
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Months before, Hopey’s Heart had awarded an AED to the facility, which cares for the intellectually disabled. Once Carlson fell, a co-worker was told the device was on-hand and was instructed on its use. Carlson began to breathe.
Two months later, Carlson, his wife and two co-workers were brought to New York to surprise Charles at a Liberty practice. Charles began to cry.
“I don’t recall specifically what I said, but I know it was ‘Thank you,” Carlson told ESPNW that day. “I thanked her for her compassion and generosity. I wouldn’t be here, standing here talking right now, if it weren’t for her, and I think I told her that.”
After five years, Charles is still trying to figure out how to generate the public and corporate support that Hopey’s Heart will eventually need to sustain itself. As of yet, that hasn’t been forthcoming. And she has no staff to figure out how to resolve that.
“There have been stories written about it,’ said Cash. “But I don’t think many people understand the significance. It requires a lot of money and there hasn’t been one sponsor yet in our league. … I’d like to issue a challenge to those who believe how wonderful this cause is and want to help it out. How about we (the WNBA) stand up for our players who are putting their money where their mouth is.”
While her charity efforts have been a main focus, Charles remains fully engaged on the court. Earlier this month at Madison Square Garden in an 80-74 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Charles passed Sheryl Swoopes, a Hall of Famer and three-time WNBA MVP for 19th on the WNBA all-time scoring list. Heading into Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Lynx, she’s just 66 points behind Taj McWilliams-Franklin for the next spot.
At some point, Charles, 29, promises she think about her future, one certain to include admission the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and, perhaps, the Naismith Hall of Fame.
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That certainly will not happen until the Liberty win a league championship, which would be the first in Charles’ career. That is her agenda for now. Until then, she’s not interested in comparing her impact with the Liberty to that Patrick Ewing once enjoyed with the Knicks.
After all, like Ewing, she is now the heart of her franchise – in many ways.
“I don’t think you remember how many points or rebounds you’ve had, but you remember moments in the locker room, moments when something funny happens when you are traveling,” said Charles. ‘It’s about the camaraderie and the people you meet along the way. Maybe when I retire I will have a better answer, but right now I am just focused on the present. I don’t think I’ve really accomplished anything yet.
“I just hope that who I am as a person off-the-court will speak louder than what I have been able to do on it. I just put a ball in a basket. I hope to be able to inspire other girls to want to play in the WNBA. And I hope that some of the teammates I’ve had will also be able to pay it forward as a result of what I have been able to do. That’s what’s important to me.”
(Photo by Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
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