Early in the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Dream’s game against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, Aug. 21, Allisha Gray missed a driving layup that was rebounded by Lorela Cubaj, who kicked the ball out to the top of the arc where Tina Charles was stationed. The 13-year veteran who has played 439 career games caught the pass, paused and then fired up a 3-pointer.
The triple not only gave the Dream a three-point lead, an advantage they would not relinquish as they defeated the Mercury, 72-63 to win their third-straight game, but also vaulted Charles to No. 2 on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing the great Tina Thompson. The player atop that list, Diana Taurasi, also was on the court for the historic bucket, with the players who have scored 17,991 points between them sharing a hug during the timeout called to honor Charles’ accomplishment.
Charles, who finished the game with a double-double of 12 points and 17 rebounds, reflected on her path this achievement, saying, “Just where I was last year, and just where I am today…I thought I was done playing last year. So for me to be here right now is just really special.” The double-double was Charles’ 184th, the second-most in WNBA history behind Sylvia Fowles’ 193. She’s also second to Fowles in…
