WNBA Awards: Tina Charles and Breanna Stewart earn Player of the Week honors

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 6: Tina Charles
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 6: Tina Charles

A pair of UConn alumnae from streaking teams captured the WNBA Player of the Week awards on Monday, with the Liberty’s Tina Charles taking the title from the East and the Storm’s Breanna Stewart earning the award in the West.

The award covered games played from Aug. 14 to 20.

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Charles extended her Player of the Week record with her 26th career nod, leading the Liberty to two wins last week. She led the East in scoring in that time, with 21.5 points per game and ranked second in rebounding (8.0 per game). Her 19-point, nine-rebound effort on Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx helped New York erase a double-digit first-half deficit to earn its fifth-straight win and officially clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Out west, Stewart picked up her second Player of the Week award this season and the third of her almost-two-year career. She led the Storm to three wins last week — and four straight overall —behind 17.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per contest.

The Storm are still below .500 at 14-16, but have not lost under interim coach Gary Kloppenburg. Seattle played one of its finest games of the season on Sunday, dismantling the Chicago Sky, 103-66. Stewart had 19 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the victory and shot 8-12 from the field.

Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike (Sparks), Glory Johnson (Wings), Stefanie Dolson and Allie Quigley (Sky), and Jonquel Jones (Sun) were among those also considered for Player of the Week.