NBA

Tina Charles eager for her Liberty debut

It’s another opening night in Connecticut for Tina Charles, but a night like none she has ever experienced.

The 2012 WNBA MVP and two-time national champion at UConn makes her return to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night, playing in her first game with the Liberty, playing the villain in the season-opener after four years starring on the same court.

Charles, who the Sun made the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, was traded on draft day in April, following a demand to play in her native New York City. Had the trade not gone through, Charles had considered sitting out the season. Charles’ return home coincides with the Liberty’s, who resume games at Madison Square Garden — starting Saturday night against Chicago — after a three-year stint in Newark, due to renovations to the Garden.

Growing up in Queens, Charles remembers going to the Garden and watching Rebecca Lobo, Teresa Weatherspoon and Becky Hammon, watching a team that reached the WNBA Finals in four of the league’s first six seasons.

“This is always something I wanted to do, to play at home,” said Charles. “To play at the world’s most famous arena as my job is unbelievable.”

The acquisition of Charles brings expectations back to where the franchise expects, following the team missing the playoffs for the first time in four years last season. With an offense centered around Charles in the post, coach Bill Laimbeer believes his system can truly flourish, with the 25-year-old’s 6-foot-4 presence giving her teammates — including Essence Carson, returning from a knee injury — more open looks than ever. Four-time All-Star Cappie Pondexter, in particular, could have one of the best years of her career, paired in a deadly pick-and-roll tandem with Charles.

“That’s our plan, that you can’t focus exclusively on Cappie, having another big weapon in Tina,” said Laimbeer, in his second season as coach.

“Just [Charles’] presence alone accelerates our opportunity.”

It’s a new era for New York, and perhaps the time for the Liberty to claim something new — a championship.

“Without question, why not?” Pondexter said about the team contending for a title. “We play for one reason, to win a championship and nothing less. The players we have are all winners.”