NEW YORK -- Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles is the WNBA's Most Valuable Player, easily topping Los Angeles forward Candace Parker in voting for the honor.
Charles received 25 first-place votes and 345 points overall from a panel of 41 sports writers and broadcasters, the league said Thursday. Parker had seven first-place votes and 253 points, and Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings -- last season's winner -- was third with 210.
In her third season, all with the Sun, Charles won her first MVP award after finishing second last year. She was the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2010.
Charles won her third straight rebounding title at 10.5 per game. She also set the Sun's single-season scoring record with an average of 18 points and helped guide Connecticut (25-9) to the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
Two Sun guards also were recognized by the league before Connecticut hosted a playoff game against New York on Thursday. Renee Montgomery is the WNBA's Sixth Woman Of the Year after averaging 11.6 points and Kara Lawson received the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.
