Washington Mystics’ Ariel Atkins, Tina Charles named to U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team

Team USA’s official roster for the Women’s Olympic Basketball team has been released and it includes two members of the Washington Mystics: guard Ariel Atkins and forward Tina Charles.

Ariel Atkins is one of six players on the women’s basketball team making their first Olympic appearance this year. She is also the only player on the team that has yet to make a WNBA All-Star team.

This season, Atkins is having her best season yet averaging career highs in points (19.0), rebounds (3.0), and assists (2.7) while also averaging 1.3 steals. She is tied for fourth in the WNBA in three-pointers made this season (33).

Tina Charles is in her 11th WNBA season (sat out the 2020 season due to medical concerns) and first with the Washington Mystics. She previously played for the Connecticut Sun for four seasons and the New York Liberty for six seasons.

Through 11 games so far this season, she is averaging 24.5 points and 9.0 rebounds currently leading the WNBA in scoring and fourth in the WNBA in rebounding.

In her career, Charles has made seven All-Star appearances, five All-WNBA first teams, three All-WNBA second teams, and four All-Defensive teams. In 2012, she was named WNBA MVP in just her third WNBA season.

U-S-A! 🇺🇸 U-S-A! 🇺🇸

Ariel Atkins & @tinacharles31 are Olympics bound!! Congrats on making @TeamUSA 🏀

📰 >> https://t.co/Vj2t7uzbXZ#TogetherDC pic.twitter.com/bY31EbbCD8

— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 21, 2021

The Women’s Olympic Basketball Roster will also include the following:

Sue Bird, Seattle Storm

Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury

Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx

Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces

Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury

Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm

Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury

A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces