2021 WNBA scoring leader

[Carnac]

Surprised? Our girl Tina, Unanimous choice for WNBA Rookie of the Year 2010. 5 time WNBA All-Star - 23.4 ppg this season. 12 years in the league, still getting it done!!

 

[MilfordHusky]

The scoring leader by a wide margin!

 

[bballnut90]

Tina could very well move into 2nd place all time next year with another 600 point season (which is about what she's averaged over the course of her career). She's only 32 and has a realistic shot to knock out Taurasi for #1 all time if she keeps up her level of play and sticks around another 5-6 years.

 

[Carnac]

The scoring leader by a wide margin!

Potential UConn recruits......................please take note. This could be you.....if you follow in her foot steps.

 

[Rb335]

I read a post on another board about how Tina is one of those players in the W just accumulating meaningless stats. Her teams have been historically pretty bad, she rarely makes the playoffs, and has no championships. I can see and appreciate how talented of a player she is...you can't post 23 ppg in the W and not be a great player. But it is an interesting trend.

Curious if anyone has any thoughts about this. Has Tina just been unlucky with what the front offices have built around her, or is she not as valuable to winning as her stats would indicate? It's a shame that covid disrupted the chance to see her EDD and Meeseman on the same team. I'm really curious to see what she would look like with another all WNBA talent on her team.

Either way, congrats to Tina on another individual accomplishment.

 

[bballnut90]

I read a post on another board about how Tina is one of those players in the W just accumulating meaningless stats. Her teams have been historically pretty bad, she rarely makes the playoffs, and has no championships. I can see and appreciate how talented of a player she is...you can't post 23 ppg in the W and not be a great player. But it is an interesting trend.

Curious if anyone has any thoughts about this. Has Tina just been unlucky with what the front offices have built around her, or is she not as valuable to winning as her stats would indicate? It's a shame that covid disrupted the chance to see her EDD and Meeseman on the same team. I'm really curious to see what she would look like with another all WNBA talent on her team.

Either way, congrats to Tina on another individual accomplishment.

She's an excellent player and has consistently been a top 5-10 player in the world. I dont think she has been surrounded with enough talent, but she also hasn't proven she's capable of putting her team on her back and taking them to the promised land like Stewart, Parker, Moore, Catchings, Taurasi, etc. I think she's a notch below that crew and is comparable to the likes of an A'ja Wilson (where she is in her career now) or Angel McCoughtry, both of whom have come close but have been beat out by players/teams that were clearly better.

In Tina's defense all of those players besides Catchings have had considerably more talent to play with than she has, but she's only made it out of the first round twice in an 11 year career and hasn't made the finals.

Stat wise, yes her scoring is much higher than it'd be if she had more capable teammates. She's been a volume shooter for the last several years which wouldn't be the case if she played alongside another 15-20ppg caliber player.

 

[Carnac]

I read a post on another board about how Tina is one of those players in the W just accumulating meaningless stats. Her teams have been historically pretty bad, she rarely makes the playoffs, and has no championships. I can see and appreciate how talented of a player she is...you can't post 23 ppg in the W and not be a great player. But it is an interesting trend.

Curious if anyone has any thoughts about this. Has Tina just been unlucky with what the front offices have built around her, or is she not as valuable to winning as her stats would indicate? It's a shame that covid disrupted the chance to see her EDD and Meeseman on the same team. I'm really curious to see what she would look like with another all WNBA talent on her team.

Either way, congrats to Tina on another individual accomplishment.

The same could be said about Barry Sanders and Karl Malone. All any player can do is the best they can. It’s up to management and the coaches to surround them with other talented players. The Detroit Lions “sucked” the entire time Sanders was with them. He still was inducted into the HOF on the first ballot. Imagine the numbers and awards he could have garnered if he had been on a good team.

Not sure what else you want Tina to do. I don’t care what other people say. I know the game, and can recognize talent when I see it. What would you like to see her do differently?

 

[Rb335]

The same could be said about Barry Sanders and Karl Malone. All any player can do is the best they can. It’s up to management and the coaches to surround them with other talented players. The Detroit Lions “sucked” the entire time Sanders was with them. He still was inducted into the HOF on the first ballot. Imagine the numbers and awards he could have garnered if he had been on a good team.

Not sure what else you want Tina to do. I don’t care what other people say. I know the game, and can recognize talent when I see it. What would you like to see her do differently?

I don’t want her to do anything different. I read an opinion I found interesting and was curious to hear others thoughts on it. I think she’s been a great player, sometimes a volume scorer, but hasn’t had the help to be a winner in the W. We all know what she was capable of when she had help at uconn.

 

[diggerfoot]

I read a post on another board about how Tina is one of those players in the W just accumulating meaningless stats. Her teams have been historically pretty bad, she rarely makes the playoffs, and has no championships. I can see and appreciate how talented of a player she is...you can't post 23 ppg in the W and not be a great player. But it is an interesting trend.

Curious if anyone has any thoughts about this. Has Tina just been unlucky with what the front offices have built around her, or is she not as valuable to winning as her stats would indicate? It's a shame that covid disrupted the chance to see her EDD and Meeseman on the same team. I'm really curious to see what she would look like with another all WNBA talent on her team.

Either way, congrats to Tina on another individual accomplishment.

If I’m not mistaken, and perhaps someone else can confirm or refute, all of Charles’s best years came with Thibault as her coach, including years with the Sun in which the teams did pretty well. Unfortunately, Thibault’s recent tenure with the Mystics has been plagued with injuries to key players, but overall he is a great coach.

Charles + Thibault = all star performances

 

[Carnac]

If I’m not mistaken, and perhaps someone else can confirm or refute, all of Charles’s best years came with Thibault as her coach, including years with the Sun in which the teams did pretty well. Unfortunately, Thibault’s recent tenure with the Mystics has been plagued with injuries to key players, but overall he is a great coach.

Charles + Thibault = all star performances

Thibault is the WNBA’s all time winningest coach with 336 career wins.

 

[eebmg]

Thibault is the WNBA’s all time winningest coach with 336 career wins.

Mike (not Eric)

 

[Geew1992]

Surprised? Our girl Tina, Unanimous choice for WNBA Rookie of the Year 2010. 5 time WNBA All-Star - 23.4 ppg this season. 12 years in the league, still getting it done!!

She was also 2012 MVP

 

[Carnac]

Mike (not Eric)

Yes Mike

 

[Carnac]

Mike (not Eric)

This is how how confusion can happen when you have two coaches with the same name, and you assume everyone knows which one you’re referring to. It’s the same when you only use initials to refer to someone. Everyone does not know who those initials belong to.

 

[maccca3232]

The same could be said about Barry Sanders and Karl Malone. All any player can do is the best they can. It’s up to management and the coaches to surround them with other talented players. The Detroit Lions “sucked” the entire time Sanders was with them. He still was inducted into the HOF on the first ballot. Imagine the numbers and awards he could have garnered if he had been on a good team.

Not sure what else you want Tina to do. I don’t care what other people say. I know the game, and can recognize talent when I see it. What would you like to see her do differently?

I come here to relax and then you go an mention Karl Malone. Though a good comparison given their scoring achievements, Malone went to 2 finals.

I still haven't watched The Last Dance yet.

 

[Carnac]

I come here to relax and then you go an mention Karl Malone. Though a good comparison given their scoring achievements, Malone went to 2 finals.

I still haven't watched The Last Dance yet.

Sorry, my point was even as great as they both were, neither ever won a championship. A poster mentioned that Charles has not won a championship, and perhaps should be held accountable. Every Batman has a Robin!! No one player can do it alone. Lots of great super star players never win a championship. Everyone knows that. She’s not done yet, there’s still time.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[bballnut90]

The same could be said about Barry Sanders and Karl Malone. All any player can do is the best they can. It’s up to management and the coaches to surround them with other talented players. The Detroit Lions “sucked” the entire time Sanders was with them. He still was inducted into the HOF on the first ballot. Imagine the numbers and awards he could have garnered if he had been on a good team.

Not sure what else you want Tina to do. I don’t care what other people say. I know the game, and can recognize talent when I see it. What would you like to see her do differently?

Malone isn't a good comparison since he had much more team success than Charles has had--he never missed the playoffs in 18 years and put up big fights in two finals vs. MJ and the Bulls. I'd liken her career more to Chris Webber at this point when looking at team results, although Charles individually has been more of a standout on the women's side than Webber was on the men's.

A lot of success ultimately falls onto coaching and management, but Charles has mostly played under several of the best coaches in WNBA history. Two stints under Thibault who has more wins than any other coach, a stint with Laimbeer who has won 3 titles, and she also played a year for Anne Donovan who won a title as a coach.

Teammates are largely luck of the draw and unless you're Tamika Catchings, you need some serious star power to win a title or come extremely close. Looking at the big names you have:
-Parker couldn't break through to the finals until Nneka blossomed
-Moore always played on ridiculously stacked rosters
-Stewart has had Loyd/Bird
-Taurasi's titles were largely aided by Cappie, Penny Taylor and Griner.

Charles has not played alongside the best teammates so I'll give her benefit of the doubt for not winning a title, but many years her teams haven't even made the playoffs or have been league bottom dwellers. And the 5 times her team has made the playoffs, they've lost to a lower seeded team.

This year Washington absolutely should've been a playoff team with the talent they had (MHA, Ariel Atkins, Natasha Cloud) compared to a team like New York or even Dallas. Tina by all accounts seems like a wonderful teammate, but in terms of legacy or comparing where she ranks among the best of the best, lack of team success prevents her from being considered in the top echelon of players at this point in her career.

 

[DEpup]

I read a post on another board about how Tina is one of those players in the W just accumulating meaningless stats. Her teams have been historically pretty bad, she rarely makes the playoffs, and has no championships. I can see and appreciate how talented of a player she is...you can't post 23 ppg in the W and not be a great player. But it is an interesting trend.

Curious if anyone has any thoughts about this. Has Tina just been unlucky with what the front offices have built around her, or is she not as valuable to winning as her stats would indicate? It's a shame that covid disrupted the chance to see her EDD and Meeseman on the same team. I'm really curious to see what she would look like with another all WNBA talent on her team.

Either way, congrats to Tina on another individual accomplishment.

I hear you but no injury to Clark or Delle Donne and Measseman shows up Washington is probably at the top vying for another championship and Tina's numbers are not that gaudy..Tina has no control over those variables but she is a typical UConn grad professional getting it done.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I looked at the WNBA career stats a few years ago and thought that Tina could finish as the #1 rebounder AND #1 scorer. How would that be?? Would she get some more respect?

 

[boontonbomber]

Malone isn't a good comparison since he had much more team success than Charles has had--he never missed the playoffs in 18 years and put up big fights in two finals vs. MJ and the Bulls. I'd liken her career more to Chris Webber at this point when looking at team results, although Charles individually has been more of a standout on the women's side than Webber was on the men's.

A lot of success ultimately falls onto coaching and management, but Charles has mostly played under several of the best coaches in WNBA history. Two stints under Thibault who has more wins than any other coach, a stint with Laimbeer who has won 3 titles, and she also played a year for Anne Donovan who won a title as a coach.

Teammates are largely luck of the draw and unless you're Tamika Catchings, you need some serious star power to win a title or come extremely close. Looking at the big names you have:
-Parker couldn't break through to the finals until Nneka blossomed
-Moore always played on ridiculously stacked rosters
-Stewart has had Loyd/Bird
-Taurasi's titles were largely aided by Cappie, Penny Taylor and Griner.

Charles has not played alongside the best teammates so I'll give her benefit of the doubt for not winning a title, but many years her teams haven't even made the playoffs or have been league bottom dwellers. And the 5 times her team has made the playoffs, they've lost to a lower seeded team.

This year Washington absolutely should've been a playoff team with the talent they had (MHA, Ariel Atkins, Natasha Cloud) compared to a team like New York or even Dallas. Tina by all accounts seems like a wonderful teammate, but in terms of legacy or comparing where she ranks among the best of the best, lack of team success prevents her from being considered in the top echelon of players at this point in her career.

Tina and Cloud each missed 5 games due to injury, and MHA only played in 18 games. Lack of team success?? You can't be serious. 2 NCAA championships, 3 World Cup gold medals, 3 Olympic golds ain't chopped liver. As an individual : Wooden award in college, 5 times 1st team WNBA, 3 times 2nd team WNBA. And unquestionably one of the best rebounders in WNBA history. Not in upper echelon of players? Yikes!!

 

[bballnut90]

Tina and Cloud each missed 5 games due to injury, and MHA only played in 18 games. Lack of team success?? You can't be serious. 2 NCAA championships, 3 World Cup gold medals, 3 Olympic golds ain't chopped liver. As an individual : Wooden award in college, 5 times 1st team WNBA, 3 times 2nd team WNBA. And unquestionably one of the best rebounders in WNBA history. Not in upper echelon of players? Yikes!!

I'm talking WNBA team success, not collegiate/international success.

If you want to bring up missed games, then you have to acknowledge that the Mystics went 3-2 without Charles compared to 9-18 with her in lineup. With a healthy Cloud playing, the Mystics still only went 11-16. With a healthy MHA, Mystics only went 6-12. Even without EDD/Meessemann, they should've been a playoff team. They underperformed all year, and missing the playoffs wasn't injury related, they just couldn't get the job done for whatever reason.

Also, most teams have key players who miss key games or chunks of the season. When looking at teams with comparable records, Dallas only had Sabally half the year, missed Gray for 7 games and Harrison for 4. LA missed Nneka/Toliver for half the season. NY missed Howard for more than half of the season and Allen for 7 games. With the talent that Washington had, they should've made the playoffs at a minimum, and they should've finished higher than Dallas, LA, and New York.

 

[BrianUC]

Teammates are largely luck of the draw and unless you're Tamika Catchings, you need some serious star power to win a title or come extremely close. Looking at the big names you have:
-Parker couldn't break through to the finals until Nneka blossomed
-Moore always played on ridiculously stacked rosters
-Stewart has had Loyd/Bird
-Taurasi's titles were largely aided by Cappie, Penny Taylor and Griner.

The year before Maya the Lynx were 0.382 and didn't make the playoffs. With essentially the same team, plus Maya Moore, the next year they were 0.794 and won the championship. Throughout her career her work ethic and focus on winning has brought out the best in her teammates and made her team better.

 

[choochoo]

Surprised? Our girl Tina, Unanimous choice for WNBA Rookie of the Year 2010. 5 time WNBA All-Star - 23.4 ppg this season. 12 years in the league, still getting it done!!

don't foget the olympic gold medals.

 

[bballnut90]

The year before Maya the Lynx were 0.382 and didn't make the playoffs. With essentially the same team, plus Maya Moore, the next year they were 0.794 and won the championship. Throughout her career her work ethic and focus on winning has brought out the best in her teammates and made her team better.

I'm not disagreeing with that, just pointing out that almost every WNBA championship team has been loaded with talent. Maya during all of her titles played with multiple Olympians, and benefitted from a stable core of Whalen, Brunson, and Augustus all sticking together for her entire tenure. Plus she played with Fowles for 4 years. They had a bad season the year before she arrived but Maya played alongside more talent than almost any other star.