Tina Named Player of the Week for 4th Time this Season

Tina Charles of the Connecticut Sun was named the WNBA’s Eastern Conference Players of the Week for games played Monday, Aug. 29 through Sunday, Sep. 4.

For Charles, the Player of the Week award is her fourth of the season and the fifth of her career. While Bonner earned the award for the first time in her career, she became the fourth Mercury player to be so honored this season, making Phoenix the first team in WNBA history with four different Player of the Week winners in one season.

Charles led the Sun to a 2-1 record and kept Connecticut in the hunt for the top seed in the East, just half a game behind leader Indiana. For the week, the 2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year led the league in blocks (2.67 bpg) while ranking second overall and tops among Eastern Conference players in rebounding (12.7 rpg). She also ranked fourth in the conference in scoring (16.7 ppg, eighth in the WNBA) and tied for third in assists (5.0 apg).

The former University of Connecticut star became just the fifth WNBA player to record a triple-double when she logged 10 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a key win over conference rival Indiana on Sep. 2. Sandwiching that effort was a 16-point, seven-rebound, three-block outing at San Antonio, and a 24-point, 15-rebound performance in a road win at Washington.

With two games left in the regular season, Charles, the league-leader with 21 double-doubles, is just one short of the WNBA record she set in that category a year ago. She also is the WNBA’s leading rebounder (11.0 rpg), ranks second in blocks (1.72 bpg) and is tied for fifth in scoring (17.7 ppg).