Charles Moves into Second on WNBA Scoring List

It must be a Yukon thing.

Atlanta Dream center Tina Charles rose up the ranks to second place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old came into the game against the Phoenix Mercury needing just 10 points to move past 4-time champion and Hall of Famer Tina Thompson’s 7,488 career points. The Dream defeated the Mercury by nine, 72-63, and Charles finished the game with 12 points. She now sits at 7,491 career points.

In the final frame and stuck at nine points, Charles sank a three-pointer and got a standing ovation and thunderous applause from the sellout crowd at the Gateway Center Arena at College Park. During the next stoppage of play, Charles’ teammates surrounded her to celebrate the feat while fans continued to cheer on and show her love.

“Just a whole bunch of gratitude,” Charles said of her place on the scoring list, crediting her religious faith and the Dream’s belief in her. “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.”

Charles now only trails fellow Yukon alum and Mercury star Diana Taurasi on the league’s all-time scoring list. Taurasi, who was on the court at the time, went up to Charles with a smile and embraced her.

In 2023, 42-year-old Taurasi became the first player to score 10,000 points in league history.

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

“Just to hear my name in the same sentence as Diana (Taurasi) is just unimaginable,” Charles said. “Just what she meant to me personally, this league, her impact – she’s definitely the GOAT. I’m just thankful. I’m just thankful. A lot of gratitude.”

Charles was a two-time NCAA champion with the University of Connecticut and was selected with the first overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. She took home the 2010 Rookie of the Year award and was later named the 2012 Most Valuable Player.
Charles is also a three-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA.

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