Dream’s Tina Charles passes Tina Thompson for 2nd on all-time WNBA scoring list
Atlanta Dream center Tina Charles moved into second place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list Wednesday, passing Hall of Famer Tina Thompson.
Charles entered Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Mercury with 7,479 career points, trailing Thompson’s career total (7,488) by nine. She tied Thompson with a jumper from the wing in the third quarter for her ninth point of the night. She passed Thompson with a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter for her 12th point of the game, which gave the Dream a 51-48 lead.
A look at the three-pointer that moved Tina Charles into 2nd all-time in scoring 🙌#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/Qapr9qLEoE
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 22, 2024
The bucket was Charles’ last of the night, which leaves her at 7,491 points and counting. The Dream held on for a 72-63 win.
Charles, 35, has a long way to go to reach the top. Diana Taurasi, who’s still active and took the floor for the Mercury on Wednesday, is the league’s all-time leading scorer. She finished Wednesday’s game well ahead of Thompson and Charles with 10,500 career points.
Taurasi and Charles — friends and former UConn Huskies — embraced ahead of Wednesday’s game.
Former Huskies, long time friends and now closing in on being etched next to one another in the history books 🧡
The all-time leading scorer, Diana Taurasi embraces Tina Charles ahead of their matchup tonight
Charles just 10 points away from being #2 all-time in points made pic.twitter.com/6uxS0CX2go
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 21, 2024
They shared another embrace on the court after Charles reached her achievement.
All the respect between these two as Tina Charles moves into second All-Time on the WNBA’s scoring list. pic.twitter.com/VBp7rRei79
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 22, 2024
Charles’ move into second place further strengthens her certain Hall of Fame résumé. She reached the milestone in her 13th WNBA season after being selected first overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2010 draft.
She has lived up to the top-pick billing. Charles has made eight All-Star teams and nine All-WNBA teams since joining the league. In the 2012 season that saw her miss the All-Star roster, she was named league MVP in her third year with the Sun.
She’s a two-time league scoring champion and a four-time rebounding champion. She also won two national championships at UConn and has three Olympic gold medals as a member of Team USA. The only hole in her résumé is a WNBA championship.
Now she’s the WNBA’s second-leading all-time scorer.