Atlanta Dream’s Tina Charles moves to second place on the all-time WNBA scoring list

By Jacob Lev, CNN

(CNN) — Tina Charles, center for the Atlanta Dreams, moved into second place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old needed 10 points to surpass Tina Thompson’s 7,488 career points before the game against the Phoenix Mercury. The Dream defeated the Mercury 72-63 and Charles finished the game with 12 points. She now has 7,491 career points.

In the fourth quarter, with the score tied at nine, Charles drained a three-pointer to loud applause from the sold-out crowd at Gateway Center Arena @ College Park. At the next stoppage, Charles’ teammates surrounded her to celebrate the feat as fans continued to cheer her on.

Charles now trails only Mercury star Diana Taurasi on the league’s all-time scoring list. Taurasi, who was on the court at the time, walked up to Charles with a smile and gave her a hug.

Last season, 42-year-old Taurasi became the first player in league history to score 10,000 points.

After the game, Charles said it was “great” to celebrate the milestone with her teammates and expressed her gratitude for achieving it while sharing the court with “GOAT” Taurasi.

“To hear my name in the same sentence as Diana (Taurasi) is just unimaginable,” Charles said. “What she meant to me personally, this league, her impact – she’s definitely the GOAT. I’m just grateful. I’m just grateful. Very grateful.”

Charles was a two-time NCAA champion with the University of Connecticut and was selected first overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. She won the 2010 Rookie of the Year award and was later named the 2012 Most Valuable Player.

Charles is also a three-time Olympic champion with the US national team.

The eight-time All-Star played for the Mercury, New York Liberty, Washington Mystics and Seattle Storm. She sat out the 2023 WNBA season before signing with Atlanta earlier this year.

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