COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Following a year in which she helped two USA Basketball teams to gold medals and the University of Connecticut to an undefeated season and an NCAA national championship, USA Basketball announced that UConn senior Tina Charles has been selected by the USA Basketball Board of Directors as the 2009 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.

"'It feels great,'' Charles said. "It's a huge honor. Just all the hard work ... I believe I started playing USA Basketball when I was like 15, and just the fact that they always continue to invite me and I just wanted to show dedication to USA Basketball and just how much it means to me.''

Charles was the USA's leading scorer and rebounder while helping the 2009 USA Women's World University Games Team capture a perfect record and gold medal July 2-11 in Belgrade, Serbia. She returned to the red, white and blue two months later for the 2009 USA Women's National Team training Sept. 20-Oct. 6 in Washington, D.C. Following training camp, she averaged team second-bests for points and rebounds as the only collegiate athlete on the USA Women's National Team that rolled to three straight wins and a gold medal in the 2009 Ekaterinburg International Invitational, Oct. 9-11 in Russia. Overall, Charles spent 39 days in 2009 training or competing with a USA Basketball team.

USA Basketball will nominate Charles for the U.S. Olympic Committee's 2010 SportsWoman of the Year, which is expected to be announced in January of 2010.

"The only thing more impressive than Tina's play this past summer was the amount of time she committed to USA Basketball," said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball Executive Director/CEO. "After leading the USA to gold in the World University Games, she returned to help the USA to a second gold medal in Russia and proved herself on the court against professionals. We are grateful for her service in 2009, and we expect great things from her in the future."

Charles first reported to USA basketball on May 15 for the USA World University Games Team trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Following trials, she was named as one of 15 finalists for the USA World University Games team on May 17. She returned to Colorado for training camp on June 18, and the 12-member 2009 USA World University Games Team was announced on June 22. The USA squad trained in Colorado twice a day before departing for Serbia on June 25.

In five of the USA's seven games, Charles finished as the USA's leading scorer or tied for high scorer, and three times she led the USA in rebounding. In the USA's first contest, Charles led five players in double figures with 18 points as the USA cruised to an easy 115-30 win over France; and she helped the USA wrap up preliminary play undefeated with a team-high 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field in the USA's 84-50 win over host Serbia.

She recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds as the USA downed a resilient Poland team 75-67 on July 5, and she followed that with a 20-point performance as the USA crushed Czech Republic 115-78 on July 7 to advance to the semifinals as a No. 1 seed. As the USA tallied an 81-66 win over Australia in the semifinals, Charles once again recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double to help the USA run away with an 81-66 victory.

Her most impressive performance of the 2009 World University Games came in the gold medal game against Russia on July 11. Charles recorded a monster 28-point, 18-rebound performance to help propel the USA past a previously unbeaten Russia squad 83-64 and on to the gold medal.

Among all participants in the 16-team field, Charles ranked No. 7 in scoring (16.1 ppg.), No. 12 in rebounding (8.1 rpg.), tied for No. 13 in offensive boards (3.14) and tied for No. 14 in defensive rebounding (5.0) while playing just 19.0 minutes per game. Charles and her USA teammates returned home from Serbia on July 12 in possession of a perfect 7-0 record and a gold medal.

On Sept. 22, USA Basketball announced Charles as one of only three collegiate athletes participating in the 2009 USA Women's National Team training, Sept. 30 - Oct. 5 in Washington, D.C. During training camp, Charles and the USA Women's National Team signed autographs at the Washington Nationals final home game of the season; visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Clinic; and played host to an open practice for members of the military and their families, followed by a clinic for children whose parents are in the military. The USA's training camp was highlighted by the 2009 USA Basketball Fall Showcase on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Following seven practices in Washington, D.C., Charles was selected as a member of the USA team that played in the 2009 Ekaterinburg International Invitational in Russia. In addition to the Russian professional team UMMC Ekaterinburg, also competing in the tournament were Euroleague professional teams MKB Euroleasing Sopron from Hungary and USK Praha from the Czech Republic.

In the USA's first game versus USK Praha, Charles tallied 12 points and five rebounds in just 15 minutes off the bench as the USA recorded a 100-81 win. The following day against MKB Euroleasing Sopron, Charles recorded a team-high 15 points along with seven rebounds, this time in 13 minutes off the bench, to help the USA to a 79-65 win. She wrapped up the tournament with 10 points and eight rebounds as the USA downed host and 2009 EuroLeague third place finisher UMMC Ekaterinburg 78-63 to capture a gold medal on Oct. 11.

Charles' outstanding USA performance followed up an incredible NCAA season, her third at Connecticut, during which she led the Huskies to a 39-0 record and an NCAA national championship. Starting in all 39 games played, she averaged 19.3 points 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. She ranked second in the Big East and fourth nationally in field goal percentage (.604) and led the Big East in blocked shots.

Charles was selected as the 2009 Women's NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and named to NCAA All-Final Four Team. She also was named to the 2009 WBCA All-America Basketball Team and selected as one of 12 finalists for the 2009 Wade Trophy.