Tina Charles and Candace Parker named WNBA Players of the Week

Tina Charles photo: FIBA Europe/Ciamillo-Castoria

WNBA has announced that Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles and Los Angeles Sparks power forward Candace Parker have been named players of the last week.

From the WNBA:

For Charles, the 2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year and 2011 All-WNBA First Team selection, the Player of the Week honor is the sixth of her career and her first this season. The University of Connecticut product led the WNBA in rebounds (14.3 rpg) and ranked eighth in scoring (20.7 ppg) during the week as the Sun posted a 2-1 record and improved to 8-2, tops in the Eastern Conference. In the process, Charles became the first player in league history to post three 20-20 games in a career as she logged 23 points and 22 rebounds in a road win over the Atlanta Dream on June 17. She also knocked down a pair of free throws with 3.1 seconds left to play in that game, which gave Connecticut its first lead of the day and a 75-73 victory.

Parker displayed her 2008 MVP form in a nationally televised game (ESPN2) on June 1, tallying game-highs of 33 points, 16 rebounds, 13 defensive boards, eight assists, and five blocks while contributing three steals in an 87-81 road win over Connecticut, which, like Los Angeles, had entered the day at 6-1. Parker’s biggest play came with 1:10 to play when, with the Sparks trailing 81-80, she blocked a layup attempt by Charles on a fast break. She also blocked a layup attempt by Renee Montgomery moments later as Los Angeles scored the final seven points of the game for the win.