Tina Charles was struck by the irony of the timing of her latest honor.
The former UConn star was named one of four finalists for the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award on the same day she would be playing in the state where she first began to spread her wings and display her philanthropic spirit.
Charles has always been a giving soul but it wasn't until she graduated from UConn and began earning money playing professionally that she could put her money where her mouth is.
Charles joins Brent Burns, who just led the San Jose Sharks to their first Stanley Cup Final, NFL star Carlos Dunlap and NBA All-Star Chris Paul as finalists for the prestigious award.