NEW YORK – Tina Charles of the New York Liberty and Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx today were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Samsung, respectively, for games played in September.  Charles won her fourth consecutive Player of the Month award, sweeping the honor for the 2016 season and raising her career total to a WNBA-record nine.  With her second monthly award of the season, Moore remained one behind Charles with eight.

The Eastern and Western Conference Player of the Month awards, as well as the WNBA Rookie of the Month, are presented by Samsung and are part of the larger WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung program.  This marks the third consecutive season that Samsung, an official WNBA marketing partner, will present the WNBA’s highest individual honors, including the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Most Improved Player, WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Charles, the 2012 WNBA MVP and a four-time WNBA All-Star, led all players in rebounding (11.0 rpg) and ranked second in scoring (23.5 ppg) in September.  She also tied for sixth in the East in assists (4.0 apg) and finished fourth in blocks (1.33 bpg).  Charles capped a season in which she led the WNBA in scoring (21.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.9 rpg) and guided New York to an East-best 21-13 record and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

In September, the former University of Connecticut standout posted five double-doubles in six games.  Charles opened the month with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a 98-77 road loss to the Indiana Fever on Sept. 1.  Two days later, Charles recorded 23 points, 15 rebounds and three assists in a 92-70 home win against the Phoenix Mercury.

Additional highlights of Charles’ play in September included:

• 9 vs. Connecticut Sun: 23 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in an 89-82 victory
• 11 at Dallas Wings: 29 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and three assists in an 84-81 loss

Moore, the 2013 WNBA Finals MVP and 2014 regular-season MVP, led all West players in scoring (21.6 ppg) and ranked second in three-point field goal percentage (.577, 15-of-26) during September.  She also finished the month tied for fourth among West players in assists (3.9 apg) and contributed 4.9 rebounds.  Moore guided Minnesota to a 6-1 mark, the best record in the WNBA, as the Lynx clinched a double-bye and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.  Minnesota (28-6) set a franchise record for victories and finished one win shy of the WNBA record set by Phoenix in 2014 (29-5).

During the month, the former UConn standout scored at least 20 points in five of seven games.  She opened the month with 27 points and six rebounds in a 75-69 home win over the Washington Mystics on Sept. 2.  Two days later, Moore had 24 points, five rebounds and three assists in a 93-79 victory against the visiting Sun.  Moore then recorded 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 77-74 road win over the Los Angeles Sparks.

 Additional highlights of Moore’s play in September included:

• Sept. 13 at Chicago Sky: 27 points and five assists in a 98-97 overtime loss
• Sept. 18 vs. Atlanta Dream: 21 points, eight assists and two steals in a 95-87 win

For more information on this year’s WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung, visit www.wnba.com/awards.

2016 WNBA PLAYERS OF THE MONTH PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG WINNERS

Month             East Player                     Team               West Player                       Team
May                  Tina Charles                   New York         Maya Moore                      Minnesota
June                 Tina Charles                   New York         Nneka Ogwumike              Los Angeles
July                   Tina Charles                   New York         Nneka Ogwumike              Los Angeles
September       Tina Charles                   New York         Maya Moore                      Minnesota

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment, Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality, wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video, customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.

About the WNBA

The WNBA, which features 12 teams, is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity.  The league, which counts Verizon as its leaguewide marquee partner, began its 20^th season on May 14, 2016.

Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis on programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, increase breast and women’s health awareness, support youth and family development, and focus on education.  For more information on the WNBA, log on to www.wnba.com.