NEW YORK – Tina Charles of the New York Liberty and Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks today were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played July 18 through July 22.

Charles set a WNBA single-season record with her sixth Player of the Week honor in 2016, raising her career total to 20 in seven seasons (second all time behind Tamika Catchings’ 22).  The 2012 WNBA Most Valuable Player and four-time All-Star played in each of the Liberty’s two games last week as New York went 1-1 and now stands an East-best 18-8.  Charles leads the WNBA in scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg) for the season.

Charles tied for first in scoring (19.0 ppg), ranked first in rebounding (11.0 rpg) and tied for eight in assists (3.5 apg) among East players last week.  On July 20, the former University of Connecticut standout finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists in an 88-81 road win over the Washington Mystics.  Charles capped her week with 25 points and 13 rebounds in an 82-70 home loss to the Indiana Fever on July 21.

Ogwumike earned Player of the Week honors for the third time in four weeks, the fourth time this season and the eighth time in her five-year career.  She notched two double-doubles last week as Los Angeles split its two games and moved to a WNBA-leading 21-3.  For the season, Ogwumike ranks third in the league in scoring (19.6 ppg) and rebounding (9.2 rpg).

The three-time All-Star paced all WNBA players in rebounding (14.0 rpg) for the week.  She also tied for third among West players in scoring (20.0 ppg) and tied for eighth in assists (4.5 apg).

Ogwumike opened her week July 19 with 16 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in a 92-82 loss to the host Fever.  On July 22, she scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 95-75 road victory against the Mystics.

Other candidates for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were the Chicago Sky’s Elena Delle Donne, the Connecticut Sun’s Chiney Ogwumike, the Minnesota Lynx’s Sylvia Fowles and the Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart.

For more information on this week’s Players of the Week, visit www.wnba.com/awards.

2016 WNBA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 

Week Ending East Player               Team                West Player                Team
5/22/16           Tina Charles              New York            Maya Moore            Minnesota
5/29/16           Angel McCoughtry      Atlanta              Candace Parker      Los Angeles
6/5/16             Tina Charles              New York             Maya Moore            Minnesota
6/12/16           Emma Meesseman    Washington       Nneka Ogwumike    Los Angeles
6/19/16           Tina Charles              New York             Candace Parker        Los Angeles
6/26/16           Tina Charles              New York             Diana Taurasi           Phoenix Mercury
7/3/16             Tina Charles              New York              Nneka Ogwumike    Los Angeles
7/10/16           Angel McCoughtry      Atlanta                Maya Moore             Minnesota
7/17/16           Elena Delle Donne      Chicago               Nneka Ogwumike    Los Angeles
7/22/16           Tina Charles              New York              Nneka Ogwumike    Los Angeles