At 32, WNBA MVP Tina Charles is making the most of her fresh start with Washington Mystics

The 2020 WNBA season was not the fresh start that Tina Charles was hoping for.

After six seasons with the New York Liberty, Charles found herself in a rut. Although she was still an All-Star in 2019, she had the worst 2- and 3-point shooting percentages of her career while averaging just under 17 points per game. In April 2020, she was traded to the Washington Mystics and reunited with Mike Thibault, who coached her when she played for the Connecticut Sun from 2010-13. 

However, Charles did not get the opportunity to play for Thibault and his 2019 WNBA champion team last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Charles has extrinsic asthma and was medically excused for the 2020 season after the Mystics’ team doctor declared her high risk. Despite the disappointment of not competing, Charles took the extra time off as an opportunity to put in even more work. 

"I was going to the gym every single day with my trainer," she told USA TODAY Sports. "That was literally my day: Wake up, go drive to Brooklyn, and work out. That's all that I was doing, just trying to stay engaged. Working on my game in the offseason and coming into this year just seeing the way that D.C. plays, I didn't want to lack anything."

That extra training paid off because Thibault said he had never seen a player come into training camp at the high level of physical fitness that Charles did for the 2021 season.

"She is somebody who was highly motivated to come in and prove herself to the world that, 'I’m still one of the elite players,' " Thibault said. "She came in incredible shape. I don’t know if I’ve had a player come in better shape than she did to this training camp, so she was absolutely ready to go."

The Mystics host the Sun Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

At 32 years old, Charles is having one of the best years of her career. She has led the league in scoring for most of the season, averaging 25.4 points per game, which is also a career high. Currently, she is posting career-bests in 3-point (36.5%) and free-throw shooting (85.1%) percentages as well.

Charles is also leaving her mark on the record books, climbing to No. 2 in all-time double-doubles and No. 8 in career points. On June 22, she became the first player in WNBA history to record more than 30 points, more than 15 rebounds, and more than five assists and three pointers in a single game. 

Despite her historic numbers, Charles does not see her performances this season as anything spectacular. Playing her best is just part of the job description.

"I believe it's my job to come out the way that I've come out this year," she said. "I always strive to get better each and every single year. I just love to be consistent, so I just see it as my job. It's just what I'm supposed to do: go out and be as dominant as I possibly can."

Thibault coached Charles for three years when she played with the Sun, including her MVP season in 2012. He said he has seen her develop into a stronger athlete each year over her 11 seasons in the league. 

"She’s improved her 3-point shooting. She’s improved her ball-handling. She’s a lot more complete player than she was when I coached her 10 years ago," he said.

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Even with all of her accolades, Charles still has one major accomplishment missing from her resume: The seven-time All-Star has never won a WNBA Championship. Though the Mystics are 7-8, they have also been decimated by injuries this year. Two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne is still unable to play while she recovers from two back surgeries. Myisha Hines-Allen, a 2020 All-WNBA honoree, and Natasha Cloud, a 2019 All-Defensive selection, are also out with injuries.

The Mystics were league champions just two years ago, and players will have some time to get healthy during the break while Charles and teammate Ariel Atkins travel to Tokyo to compete for Team USA in the Olympic Games. After the Olympic break, the Mystics have until mid-September to turn things around and give Charles a chance at that elusive title.

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"I went into this saying to myself that I have things that I would like to accomplish before I retire," Charles said. "I have more years behind me than ahead of me, and I just really appreciate and enjoy the game. I'm still in love with basketball. Every time I step on that court, I'm just having fun. I'm just being competitive, and just being very thankful to be able to play the game."

The official WNBA store doesn’t sell Charles’ jersey. She didn’t get the buzz of Diana Taurasi or Sue Bird when the USA's women’s basketball roster for the Tokyo Games was announced. Her following on social media — 45,400 on Instagram — pales in comparison to the millions of followers that newer players like Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu have. 

Still, Charles doesn’t believe she is underrated.

"I'm still getting doubled and triple teamed. I know that I'm very respected in this league," she said. "I just leave it at that. As long as I have my peers’ respect, that's all that matters to me."

Contact Emily Adams at eaadams@gannett.com or on Twitter @eaadams6.