RebKell's Junkie Boards

[SDHoops]

Once again, in pre-season GM surveys and several articles, there was no mention of Tina Charles. She's been a WNBA MVP runner-up for at least three season and won one in four of her prior 8 seasons. She's consistently one of the top scorers and rebounders in the game and puts the team on her back. Even Reb users are quick to count her out and shun her..my question has always been, why? Because she demanded a trade back in 2013? Yet we are so forgiving of Elena and Syl for essentially doing the same thing..even condoning Notre Dame and the Jess Shepherd deal.

I distinctly remember the STINK people had over Charles going to New York...well I am going to say what you guys preach: GET OVER IT!!! Nneka-Gate in 2016 will always be the biggest BS piece of crap in award voting ever to me..but she fit the mold. She was a nice bubbly girl and had a personal career best year although Tina's was clearly better...even Chiney gets the star treatment though being mostly unproven in the league. A young lady who grew up in Queens, NY and defied the odds and shows her humbleness to this day with all of her charity donations, I swear it's like ya'll want to see a person who had to climb to the top not make it...It doesn't matter if the Libs finish with the worst record or best this season, whether Tee finishes leading in scoring and rebounding again, ya'll will still find a reason! Keep sleeping. Just had to throw in my two cents. I'm from hick state South Dakota and I can appreciate greatness ~

[pilight]

Charles was underappreciated in college and she's been underappreciated in the W.

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I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

[Aladyyn]

She gets underappreciated at times but she also doesn't get the same criticisms that other players do. It goes both ways.

And yeah, she should have won the 2016 MVP.

[sigur3]

nvm

[Michelle89]

I dont think of her as top candidate for MVP because i dont think Liberty was going to do well this season and so far i was right

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"Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson were and are the dynamic duo. They're the one-two punch. They're all the clich�s possible to describe people that perfectly complement each other, who make each other better and also bring out the best in the team." �Karen Bryant

[WNBA 09]

[Cooper2009]

I’m not sure if u would say she’s underrated or under appreciated it’s just her teams are good mediocre teams. They do enough to look good but not Great. That isn’t her fault but she’s never been on a team I felt would win it all. And because if that it almost finishes her light a little

But people know how great she is. Nobody playing against her underestimates her. I wish she could play alongside a big center though. Just once.

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Nared.

[J-Spoon]

NY stinks it up in the playoffs but

Charles' team finished 1st, 3rd and 3rd the last three years, always was near the top when she was with the Sun, has been higher in the standngs than Griner's team the last few seasons, always did better than Fowles' team until she came to Minny, better record than EDD's team most if not every years, better record than Nneka's team except when Parker was healthy, just out played Cambage two days ago.

Charles has led the league in both scoring and rebounding multiple times while playing on a top three team which would pretty much guarantee multiple MVP's to most candidates.

ATM NY's record is 1-2 let see where they're at in about ten games before declaring them a bust.

[Bob Lamm]

[Cooper2009]

[NYL_WNBA_FAN]

If Tina had the talent around her that other top players have she'd have multiple WNBA championships. The Libs' second best player this season has been Kia Nurse. They've been down 5, 4, and 3 players for their first 3 games. Besides the 3 players out completely, Stokes isn't healthy yet and Vaughn had been with the team for less than a week. Nobody in the league (including LA) has been more decimated. Nurse has been terrific but let's be real.

For me, there's a pretty clear top-9 group of players in the WNBA. That would be in no particular order....Parker, Nneka, Moore, EDD, Tina, Stewart, Fowles, Taurasi and Griner. Six of those players play on the same team. Stewart's best complimentary player is Jewell Loyd and she plays with Sue Bird. EDD's best complimentary player is Toliver and she also played with Meesseman last year. Tina's best complimentary players have been Piph, Sugar and Z in each of the last three given seasons. In 2015 and 2016 the Liberty only had two double-digit scorers and still won 20+ games. This year, the Libs' best complimentary player is Kia Nurse. Taking nothing away from Nurse, who has been terrific...but there's players on this list who team with Taurasi, Griner, Maya, Fowles, Parker, Nneka, Gray, Whalen, Augustus, etc. How did Fowles do when she was THE player on Chicago as far as winning? How would Cambage singularly carry a team without Skylar Diggins?

The playoff failures...I've said this a lot of times. It's a common discussion that perimeter play wins single-elimination basketball games. Especially in an era where 3-point shooting creates monster runs. To pound the ball inside when an opponent is on a big scoring run centered around the 3-point shot is not going to end well if that's all you're able to do. As such, if the Liberty get healthy enough to find themselves in a one-game elimination this year, the combo of a 3-point friendly offensive system featuring two more shooters in Nurse and Coleman makes it more likely they'll come out of it with a W. I think Bill Laimbeer is a fine coach, and I think the Libs' framework and philosophy would stand up much better in a best of 7 series where attrition would play more of a role. But in a best-of-3 and one-game eliminations...a little bit different. Not to mention, even the Detroit Shock used Nolan heavily in fourth quarters. Particularly late-game situations. And they barely beat NY in best of 3s in '07 and '08, where the Libs had strong perimeter shooting teams.

Tamika Catchings was in a similar situation in that she was so good that her teams were never bad enough to get that second superstar player...though Katie Douglas was definitely an All-Star. An argument could be made that if you factor every basketball skill into the equation that Tamika Catchings is the best all-around WNBA player of all time. Scoring, passing, playmaking, rebounding and defense. Other players could also be similarly argued but my point is Catchings has a legit claim as the best multifaceted player the league ever seen. And she has one WNBA championship. The talent around a player matters a lot.

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The poster formerly known as LibWNBAFan.

[jap]

[ClayK]

Agree completely.

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Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

[SDHoops]

I just want to add that Tina is still tearing it up this season! At the beginning, people said she was DONE and wrote her off. I, for one, hope that she gets All-W league honors consideration even if it's second team. Love her or hate her, she still balls out.

[barryi22]

She's a post player shooting 37% from the floor and 17% from 3....not sure I'd call that tearing it up. Especially when she's taking nearly 20 shots per game and has finally has reliable wings in Kia Nurse/Asia Durr to help shoulder the load.


This will be the 4th year in a row that she leads the league in FGA per game and she's currently on pace to set the record for most FGA in a season while shooting a career low in FG%.

[WNBA 09]

Well damn berry Talk about crushing a dream

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3-Time WNBA Champion-3-Time National Champion-4-Time Olympic Champion....And Yes DT "We Got Confeti" lol

[SDHoops]

[SDHoops]

[barryi22]

[barryi22]