By Joseph Staszewski
One of Christ the King’s greatest players was voted among the WNBA’s brightest stars.
Royals alum and New York Liberty center Tina Charles was named a starter to the league’s all-star game last week. It is her fourth WNBA All-Star Game appearance and her first in the starting lineup since 2011. The Jamaica native will represent her city when her East team meets the West at the Mohegan Sun Arena Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ABC.
“I think it’s a blessing,” Charles said. “To become a starter, that means that people voted, they recognize your game, what you do for your team, and who you are as a person, how you are in the community. To be named an All-Star starter again is pretty great.”
Charles is fifth in the league in scoring this year at 17.4 points per contest, including four 20-point games. She is also fifth in the WNBA with 9.0 rebounds per game. The former UConn Huskie has also posted five double-doubles this season.
She recently scored the 3,000th point of her career and is the 10th fastest player in league history to reach the milestone. She also has 1,837 rebounds in her six years in the WNBA.
The Liberty are currently at the top of the Eastern Conference, several games ahead of Connecticut, Charles’ old squad. Her second season in New York has been better than her first, when the Liberty went 15-19 and missed the playoffs. This season, New York appears to be headed for a postseason bid behind Charles and an improved supporting cast.
“Obviously, Tina has been our main weapon this season,” said New York Liberty head coach Bill Laimbeer. “I think she is playing at a high level. She overcame some adversity during a small stretch in the beginning of the year, and is playing really well.”
Charles won consecutive undefeated national championships in 2005 and 2006 at Christ the King. Both seasons included state Federation Class AA crowns. She was the consensus pick as the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2006.
Christ the King has another alum who will be joining Charles at the All-Star Game. Sue Bird, a point guard for the Seattle Storm, was selected Tuesday as a reserve for the Western Conference team.
