Tina Charles believed her stellar WNBA career was likely over after not playing in the league last season. Instead, she bounced back this year, moving into second place on the WNBA’s career scoring list Wednesday night. Phoenix MercuryDiana Taurasi.
Charles had 12 points and 17 rebounds, and the Atlanta Dream beat Phoenix 72-63 in College Park, Georgia, for its third win since the Olympic break.
“An absolute sense of gratitude,” Charles said of his place on the scoresheet, praising his religious faith and belief in his dreams. “Where I was last year is where I am today. … Last year I thought I was done playing. So to be here now is pretty special.”
Charles passed Hall of Famer Tina Thompson (7,488 points) for second on the all-time scoring list and now has 7,491 career points in her 13 WNBA seasons. Taurasi, whose 3-pointer Tuesday, has scored 10,500 points in her 20 WNBA seasons. Both are former UConn stars who were on Team USA Basketball in three Olympics and briefly in the WNBA with the Mercury in 2022.
“To be in court with Diana, to be in the same sentence – it’s unimaginable,” Charles said.
Charles now has 184 career double-doubles, second most in WNBA history and 10 shy of tying retired center Sylvia Foles’ record of 193. Charles’ 3,876 rebounds are second only to Fowles’ record 4,006.
Charles, the No. 1 overall pick by Connecticut in 2010, was named league MVP while with the Suns in 2012, and reached these milestones in 2020 despite not playing (medical exemption during the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2023. He divorced in 2022. season between Phoenix and Seattle.
Dream coach Tanisha Wright — Charles’ teammate for three seasons with the New York Liberty — and general manager Don Badover felt Charles, 35, was still an impact player and signed him as a free agent in February.
The injury-plagued Dream slipped into the Olympic break, losing eight straight games and falling to 7-17. Now, with players like 3×3 Olympic bronze medalist Ryne Howard and Jordin Canada healthy and in the starting lineup, Atlanta is 10-17 behind the Chicago Sky for the last playoff spot.
“Really good teams are very consistent in who they are,” Charles said. “We were consistent [tonight]. Defending, attacking, sharing the ball, celebrating each other.”
Asked how she might celebrate, Charles shrugged and said, “I don’t.”
Wright jumps in, “She’s definitely going to have a beer tonight. She’s going home and drinking beer, sitting in her hammock and listening to some Caribbean music.”
Charles agreed.
“Yes, that’s true,” she said. “But … I think when I’m really done [playing]You take it differently. I am grateful to be surrounded by a great group of women. To see Alisha Gray develop, along with Ryan Howard, to influence them. I think that’s what’s most important to me right now in my life.”
