Mike DiMauro: Sun's trade of Charles was forced by a diva

[pap49cba]

Among the many ways to say goodbye to Tina Charles: adios, au revoir, arrivederci, auf wiedersehen, do svidaniya …
But I prefer a more direct approach.

Yo, Tina: Don't let the doorknob leave a lasting impression.

LINK

 

[HoopsFan21]

I would have never guessed her to be the diva type.

 

[UConnCat]

Agree, never thought I would hear diva and Tina Charles in the same sentence. Tina is supposed to have a call with the media today so we'll see what she chooses to say. She doesn't typically say much to the media.

 

[BooRadley]

For the sake of this discussion let's assume that Mike is an actual professional writer. Given that assumption one would expect his work to be an alloy of rationally & accurately described content mixed with a mature & clever style, but we’ve rarely seen that from Mike over the years. I can't even remember the last time we saw quality work coming from Mike.

Like all sub-skilled writers, Mike leans heavily upon tricks rather than putting in the effort to write something that is relevent, interesting, and informative. Mike's laziness has been characterized by a string of tortured attempts at the provocative, rather than a truly provocative piece, an organically provocative bit of work.

I just don’t understand why anyone would read this hack.


YOPB

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

First off, lets not jump all over Tina.

After 2009, Cappie Pondexter demanded a trade. She did not want to 1b to Taurasi's 1a. She wanted to be the first option by herself. She forced a trade to New York (a three-team deal that landed Candice Dupree in Phoenix).

Donovan and Charles did not mesh. Same with Thibault and Langhorne. Both players have now been traded.

The WNBA, like the NBA, is a player's league. The pro game is more about the players, whereas the college game is about the coach.

The Sun hit rock bottom in Donovan's first year. The franchise got a lot of first round picks out of the deal and has a great nucleus for the future, especially if Gray gets healthy. Think about this...the team has five first round picks in 2014 and 2015 and already have Chiney Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas, and Chelsea Gray.

And Tina goes home to NYC and plays with Cappie. Tina will be a star on the biggest stage and will be the dominant post player that New York has not have since the days of Tari Phillips.

Side note...I do not blame Tina for not being happy. Donovan can be VERY abrasive and is not really a player's coach. Thibault, for all his faults in terms of not winning the big one and having other players leave, was beloved by both Tina Charles and Kara Lawson. Both are now gone.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

What is Donovan's relationship to UCONN? Does she like UCONN players? I was surprised that she did not encourage New York to go with Stef Dolson so when the trade occurred there would be a UCONN back on the team. I mean if you want to grow fan support you want to have the players the fans would want to see.

thomas is great... but Dolson is a two time NCAA champ.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Agree, never thought I would hear diva and Tina Charles in the same sentence. Tina is supposed to have a call with the media today so we'll see what she chooses to say. She doesn't typically say much to the media.

You are a Diva because you want to control where you work? BTW, have you seen and read her contract? I haven't.

 

[DishNSwish]

What is Donovan's relationship to UCONN? Does she like UCONN players? I was surprised that she did not encourage New York to go with Stef Dolson so when the trade occurred there would be a UCONN back on the team. I mean if you want to grow fan support you want to have the players the fans would want to see.

thomas is great... but Dolson is a two time NCAA champ.

Drafting Kelly Faris and signing Renee Montgomery to a big contract doesn't answer that question?

They got Bone to play center, who is coming off a Euro League championship and a wing called Baby Bron Bron.

 

[UConnCat]

You are a Diva because you want to control where you work? BTW, have you seen and read her contract? I haven't.

I'm not saying Tina is a diva; I'm surprised to hear anyone use that word to describe her.

Tina looked unhappy last season with the Sun. I hope she is happy with the Lib.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Wonder how folks would have reacted to similar actions by Parker...

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Wonder how folks would have reacted to similar actions by Parker...

Same for me...it is about work and money, just as it as for almost all of us. Maybe they both are Divas, maybe not, but it is none of my business.

 

[BooRadley]

Wonder how folks would have reacted to similar actions by Parker...

Probably, and appropriately, very differently given Parker's personality is demonstrably different from Charles's personality.

YOPB

 

[Waquoit]

A true diva would have had the war of words in a public forum. Right now it's only the Sun taking the shots. But I'm not blaming Mike, if he didn't write what he did the Sun might stop comping his trips to the buffet.

 

[UcMiami]

So now people see why using Diva as a description of Morgan Tuck earlier this year was not maybe appropriate!
Just wondering what sort of label Mike put on say, Wes Welker or Jacoby Elsbury, or .... did he call them gigolos, or something else derogatory.
So ... Tina 'entertained in her home town' but wants to move town the next year? And this is wrong?
Guess what - this aint college no more and at least with choosing a college, you get too chose. Drafting is the way athletes get located in the pros - no choice involved unless you are Eli Manning - what term did Mike use in that instance. Anybody outside of Oakland blame an NFL player from wanting out of that disaster or holding that team hostage until they roll up with the brinks truck?
As for these two statements:
Charles was a restricted free agent, meaning Connecticut held her rights.
You can't finish the last year on your contract?
Um ... do we have a disconnect with reading comprehension here Mike?
'Free Agent' does not compute with 'Contract' - don't matter how many qualifiers you want to put on 'free agent' you cannot get from 'free agent' to 'contract' without a signature.

As for Diva, I am sure he used that word for Whalen when she made it known that she wanted to get back to MN. And he is full of praise for Douglas, but I am sure he called her a Diva when she wanted to get out of CT and back to IN. He couldn't be that inconsistent could he?
And while everyone knew that Tina wasn't happy and wanted to be traded, I am pretty sure based on the trade deal that was worked out, that she unlike the two listed above did not make public that she would only accept a trade to NY. I am pretty sure Bill thought he was bidding against at least Mike and maybe Magic or someone else as well. Seems that strengthen the Suns hand considerably.

 

[meyers7]

Donovan said. "But we kept telling people they weren't true. There were so many opportunities for Tina or her agent to tell us differently. We had so many interactions with Tina in the offseason. When this came down the pike as late as it did, we were all pretty blindsided."

Ok that proves it, the Sun management are idiots (or liars). We've been talking about Charles not playing this year for the Sun for months. I certainly didn't expect her to after all the rumblings this last year. If they are this dumb, Charles has a pretty good reason not to want to play for them.

 

[reno tony]

So now people see why using Diva as a description of Morgan Tuck earlier this year was not maybe appropriate!

I think Morgan's divaness comes from the way she dresses. Oh, snap.

 

[jdubct]

Donovan said. "But we kept telling people they weren't true. There were so many opportunities for Tina or her agent to tell us differently. We had so many interactions with Tina in the offseason. When this came down the pike as late as it did, we were all pretty blindsided."

Ok that proves it, the Sun management are idiots (or liars). We've been talking about Charles not playing this year for the Sun for months. I certainly didn't expect her to after all the rumblings this last year. If they are this dumb, Charles has a pretty good reason not to want to play for them.

Agree. The GM and Coach Blindsided? Actually deaf, dumb and blind.

 

[mrmojack]

I would have never guessed her to be the diva type.

We do not know the real circumstances of the trade. Was Kara a diva also?

 

[BJLfromBK]

If it was about the money she wouldnt even bother to play in the WNBA.

 

[DishNSwish]

Agree. The GM and Coach Blindsided? Actually deaf, dumb and blind.

Donovan will be on Dishin & Swishin this week; she explained that comment, and it makes a little more sense.

 

[wire chief]

Count me among those who support Tina and her right to pursue her happiness.

 

[HoopsFan21]

We do not know the real circumstances of the trade. Was Kara a diva also?

I don't know her personally. Was she?

 

[CL82]

Kind of sexist column. Male player asks for a trade no one plays the diva card. Me thinks Mike got "the volume" wrong on yet another column.

The team's performance and Kara leaving leads me to believe that the problem isn't with Tina. Although I haven't followed Anne Donovan's career, I get the sense that it has been a bit nomadic. That's typical of those who don't work and play well with others,

I'm sure the details will come out soon enough.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Mike's POV sounds more like he works for The Sun rather than The Day. Or perhaps he is piqued that Tina will not dish to him regarding her decision. Regardless, a rather ugly tone to his article. We will never know what all went on behind the scenes, but I have always regarded Tina as a warm, charitable, hardworking team-first person. Mike's article does not persuade me otherwise.

 

[baggerbob]

Usually in the NBA when a new coach comes in, and screws up a winning team, they get fired, guess in the WNBA they get rid of the players, and keep the bad coach.