Tina Charles

The WNBA’s post-Olympic return week couldn’t have started any better for Tina Charles. Riding a momentous wave after a game-winner against her previous team on Friday, followed by a 22-point, 15-rebound showing to conquer her career’s first organization nights later, Charles’ greatness commanded just one question: with the Phoenix Mercury — another former team — scheduled next, what excellence could one expect? Answers arrived during the fourth quarter’s opening minute with Charles, uncovered and positioned atop the 3-point arc, burying a tie breaking triple to become WNBA history’s No. 2 all-time leading scorer. The clutch bucket elevated Charles to 7,491 points, prompting a standing ovation from the Atlanta Dream faithful, followed by an embrace from the WNBA’s No. 1 scorer soon thereafter. Merely adding padding to a Springfield-bound career once all is said and done, the 2012 Most Valuable Player thrived with 12 points, 17 rebounds, three dimes, and two 3-pointers, propelling Atlanta to a flawless 3-0 record post All-Star break.