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High Post Hoops’ Top 20 WNBA players, ranked for 2019

By High Post Hoops Staff

WHITE PLAINS, NY - JUNE 26: Tina Charles (31) of the New York Liberty and Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury look on during the game on June 26, 2018 at Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WHITE PLAINS, NY - JUNE 26: Tina Charles (31) of the New York Liberty and Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury look on during the game on June 26, 2018 at Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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11. Tina Charles

WHITE PLAINS, NY- MAY 24: Tina Charles #31 of the New York Liberty handles the ball against Teaira McCowan #15 of the Indiana Fever on May 24, 2019 at the Westchester County Center, in White Plains, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Matteo Marchi/NBAE via Getty Images)
WHITE PLAINS, NY- MAY 24: Tina Charles #31 of the New York Liberty handles the ball against Teaira McCowan #15 of the Indiana Fever on May 24, 2019 at the Westchester County Center, in White Plains, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Matteo Marchi/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Another player who could easily finish the season in the top ten, even the top five, Tina Charles is a former MVP whose standing has fallen largely due to the overall performance of her team. The scouting reports on Charles are largely about slowing her down as much as possible, since no one can stop her, and reflects a related belief that her teammates aren’t going to punish opponents for the decision. It’s worked, again and again — the Liberty haven’t won a regular-season game since the middle of last season. Charles continued to perform as she had, even seeing an uptick in her two-point accuracy above 50% in 2018, giving her the best true shooting percentage of any season since her MVP campaign of 2012. She’s a gifted passer, finding teammates out of double teams routinely. But Synergy saw a steep drop in her overall defending from 2017, part of a team-wide malaise that has plagued New York since Bill Laimbeer left town, and puzzling — Katie Smith makes it a point of emphasis and essentially built the Laimbeer-Liberty defense. Ultimately, at age 30, Charles is a lesson in how to win in this league, WNBA teams need multiple stars. She is every bit of one. But she needs more help.

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