WNBA historical past was made on a Tuesday night time in Atlanta, as Dream heart Tina Charles handed Tina Thompson for second on the all-time WNBA scoring listing. Fittingly, she did so in a recreation towards Diana Taurasi — the all-time main scorer in league historical past — who she proclaimed was the best of all time after the sport.
Charles, an eight-time All-Star and one-time MVP, entered Wednesday’s matchup with the Mercury with 7,479 profession factors, needing 8 factors to move Thompson.
She in the end obtained it accomplished with a three-point shot that got here within the fourth quarter of the Dream’s 72-63 win over the Mercury, ending the sport with 12 factors, 17 rebounds, and three assists.
Charles now solely trails Taurasi on the all-time scoring listing, however that report Taurasi has tallied 10,497 profession factors, so it could take years for Charles, who’s 35-years-old, to surpass her. It definitely doesn’t assist that at 42 years previous, Taurasi remains to be averaging 16.2 factors per recreation and reveals few indicators of slowing down.
The historic second was made much more particular by the truth that Charles and Taurasi are each College of Connecticut alumni and longtime pals.
“Simply to listen to my identify in the identical sentence as Diana is simply unimaginable,” Charles stated on the printed. “What she’s meant to me personally, this league, her influence — she’s positively the GOAT.”
Former Huskies, very long time pals and now closing in on being etched subsequent to at least one one other within the historical past books
The all-time main scorer, Diana Taurasi embraces Tina Charles forward of their matchup tonight
Charles simply 10 factors away from being #2 all-time in factors made pic.twitter.com/6uxS0CX2go
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 21, 2024
The win marked three consecutive victories towards playoff groups — they’ve now defeated the Storm, Solar, and Mercury because the Olympic break and improved to 10-17 on the 12 months. Atlanta is now only one recreation behind the Sky for the eighth and closing playoff spot, and given the truth that the Sky traded their second-leading scorer, Marina Mabrey, over the break, passing Chicago is definitely inside attain.
“We’re simply collectively coming collectively,” Charles stated. “Having Rhyne [Howard] and Jordin [Canada] again within the lineup has simply been actually superb. You have got a future MVP, and you’ve got some extent guard that basically takes her job severely of getting us all collectively, the pinnacle of the snake.”
