WNBA players of the month for games played in May 2016: Tina Charles and Maya Moore
From the league:
Tina Charles of the New York Liberty and Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Mont for games played in May. Moore earned her seventh Player of the Month honor, the most since the award’s inception in 2010. With her sixth Player of the Month selection, Charles remains one behind Moore.
Charles, the 2012 WNBA MVP and a former teammate of Moore’s at the University of Connecticut, led the WNBA in scoring (23.4 ppg) and rebounding (11.8 rpg) during May and recorded double-doubles in all five games.
Charles began the month with back-to-back games of 24 points and 11 rebounds – first in an 87-76 win at the Washington Mystics on May 14 and then in a 79-71 win over the visiting Dallas Wings in New York’s home opener on May 15. In an 85-79 loss to the visiting Atlanta Dream on May 24, she finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, seven steals and six assists. Charles’ performance marked just the third time in WNBA history that a player recorded at least 29 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and five assists (Brandy Reed, Phoenix at Charlotte, June 22, 2000; and Candace Parker, Los Angeles at Washington, June 1, 2014).
Additional highlights of Charles’ play in May included:
- May 21 vs. Los Angeles: 17 points and 16 rebounds in a 79-72 loss
- May 31 vs. Minnesota: 23 points and 11 rebounds in a 79-69 loss
Moore, the 2013 WNBA Finals MVP and 2014 regular-season MVP, led all Western Conference players in scoring during May (22.3 ppg) and guided Minnesota to a league-best 6-0 start. She also ranked second in the West in assists (5.3 apg), sixth in field goal percentage (.544, 49-of-90) and blocks (1 bpg), and seventh in three-point shooting (.409, 9-of-22), along with contributing 4.6 rebounds per game.
Moore opened 2016 with 27 points and a career-high 10 assists in a resounding 95-76 win over the visiting Phoenix Mercury on May 14. She then contributed 22 points and six assists in a 97-80 road win over the Chicago Sky on May 18. Moore also tallied 34 points in a win at Phoenix on May 25, including the tie-breaking layup with 36.5 seconds remaining. The 34-point effort equaled the WNBA single-game high this season set by Los Angeles’ Parker (against Seattle on May 15) and extended Moore’s franchise record for 30-point games to 18.
Additional highlights of Moore’s play in May included:
- May 22 at Seattle: 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks in a 78-71 win
- May 31 at New York: 25 points, six rebounds and three assists in a 79-69 victory
