Early in the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Dream’s game against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, Aug. 21, Allisha Gray missed a driving layup that was rebounded by Lorela Cubaj, who kicked the ball out to the top of the arc where Tina Charles was stationed. The 13-year veteran who has played 439 career games caught the pass, paused and then fired up a 3-pointer.
The triple not only gave the Dream a three-point lead, an advantage they would not relinquish as they defeated the Mercury, 72-63 to win their third-straight game, but also vaulted Charles to No. 2 on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing the great Tina Thompson. The player atop that list, Diana Taurasi, also was on the court for the historic bucket, with the players who have scored 17,991 points between them sharing a hug during the timeout called to honor Charles’ accomplishment.
Charles, who finished the game with a double-double of 12 points and 17 rebounds, reflected on her path this achievement, saying, “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.” The double-double was Charles’ 184th, the second-most in WNBA history behind Sylvia Fowles’ 193. She’s also second to Fowles in career rebounds, 3,876 to 4,006.
Charles also spoke to how she sees her impact on the game as wider than any statistical milestone, noting, “But … I think when I’m actually done [playing], you take it in differently. I’m just thankful to be around a great group of women. To see the growth of Allisha Gray, to be alongside Rhyne Howard, to have an impact on them. I think that’s just what means the most to me right now in my career.”
At the moment, Charles certainly is having a tangible and intangible impact on a Dream team that, after a season-long malaise, has begun playing with a renewed purpose out of the Olympic break, scoring three-straight wins over high-quality opponents in the Seattle Storm, Connecticut Sun and Mercury. Atlanta won those three games by a total of 23 points; when Charles was on the court, they outscored their opponents by 45 points, giving her the highest plus/minus on the team over the three-game win streak. Her 17 rebounds against the Mercury were the most she’s grabbed this season, topping the 15 she corralled against the Sun in the previous game. She unleashed these efforts when Atlanta needed them the most, as Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, Charles’ backup, suffered an gnarly ankle injury early in Sunday’s win over the Sun.
Charles’ overall play also exemplifies the extra intention that Atlanta has adopted. The team is turning in full 40-minute performances, persevering through stretches of struggle. While Rhyne Howard put on a scoring show in the Dream’s win over the Storm, cashing in on five 3-pointers on her way to 30 points, her stroke wavered against the Sun and Mercury. And still, she found her way to positive plays, including the game-sealing triple against Connecticut, a game in which Atlanta was a team-best +17 when she was on the court. Consistently putting the ball in the basket also has been troublesome for Allisha Gray. Yet, she’s been crucial in helping the Dream close out these three wins, scoring seven fourth-quarter points against the Storm and Sun before dropping eight points in the final period against the Mercury.
Jordin Canada has been an absolute difference maker for the Dream. It is not a coincidence that the team has a winning record, 4-3, in the seven games she has played. Canada is serving as the offensive organizer Atlanta has desperately needed, all while offering point-of-attack aggression on the defensive end. Her best game in an Atlanta uniform came against the Sun, with 19 points, six assists and six steals. Those statistical markers of her impact also were matched by little things that don’t show up in a traditional box score. Down the stretch, she drew a pair of momentum-shifting offensive fouls on Connecticut due to her insistent effort trying to fight over screens.
It’s the little things that the Dream’s fifth starter, Naz Hillmon, also brings to the court. Over the past three games, Hillmon has played 34, 31 and 34 minutes, her three-highest minute totals of the season. It’s an expanded role that’s well-earned. She’s been crashing the glass with relentlessness, grabbing a season-high 13 boards against Seattle before securing eight against Phoenix. She’s also shown an increased willingness to shoot. In the win over Connecticut, she took a season-high 12 field goal attempts; she then attempted her second-most shots of the season in the victory over the Mercury. For Hillmon, simply taking open shots is essential to becoming a more valuable offensive player.
Now, the question is if Atlanta can maintain this positive play and sneak into the eighth and final playoff spot. Currently, the Dream are one game back of the Chicago Sky. It won’t be easy, beginning with a rematch against the Mercury on Friday, Aug. 23 (7:30 p.m. ET, ION) before a matchup with the Indiana Fever on Monday, Aug. 26 (7:30 p.m. ET, League Pass). After that, the Dream head out on a four-game West Coast road trip.