What’s Trending: Maya, Candace Steal the Show on Opening Weekend

Brian Kotloff, WNBA.com

What’s Trending brings you the the top 10 things you need to know, listen to and/or watch in the past and upcoming week. It’s your one-stop shop for all things W, from which teams/players are on a roll to what the league’s superstars are up to off the court.

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Here’s What’s Trending on May 16, 2016:

#WNBA20: League Celebrates Start of 20th Season

Beyond the seven games played over the weekend, WNBA Tip-Off 2016 presented by Verizon marked a milestone for the league as a whole as it embarks on its 20th season.

New uniforms featuring commemorative patches, a special 20th season logo and more helped mark that milestone. WNBA.com celebrated the league’s history by launching a 20th season video vault highlights classic moments and iconic players.

Go to WNBA.com/WNBA20

#Lynx: Minnesota Owns Opening Night

Maya Moore and the Minnesota Lynx received their 2015 WNBA championship rings before Saturday night’s headlining game.

Then they proceeded to pick up right where they left off.

Moore’s 27 points and 10 assists led the Lynx past the rival Phoenix Mercury in a 96-76 win on ESPN.

#GoSparks: Parker Starts 2016 with a Bang

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After missing the first half of last season, Candace Parker put up numbers over a 16-game stretch that had never been seen in the WNBA.

In the Sparks’ opening game Sunday night, she did more of the same, scoring 34 points to spoil No. 1 pick Breanna Stewart’s debut with a blowout win over Stewart’s Storm.

#WNBARooks: Stewart Scores 23 in Debut

Stewart’s highly anticipated first regular season game didn’t go as planned with a 30-point loss — the first of her career compared to five in her four years at UConn.

But Stewart showed flashes of what makes her the most hyped prospect to come along in years.

Her schedule doesn’t get any easier after facing Parker in Game 1; the Storm visit the Mercury on Friday then Stewart plays her first game in Seattle against the Lynx on the 22nd.

Elsewhere, Stewart’s former UConn teammate, No. 2 pick Moriah Jefferson, helped send the Stars to overtime with an assist, and No. 9 pick Tiffany Mitchell scored 18 points for the Fever to get the Class of 2016 off to a strong start.

#Out4Redemption: Taurasi Returns to Mercury

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Despite losing to the rival Lynx, the Mercury could leave Opening Night happy knowing that their superstar was back in the fold.

After sitting out last season, Diana Taurasi returned to WNBA action and looked like the Diana of old, tallying 18 points and six assists.

#WatchMeWork: WNBA Stars Came Ready to Play

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#NumberCrunching: WNBA.com Now Offering Advanced Stats

#Wings: Dallas Debuts with Fresh Look, W

The former Shock franchise made its first game as the Dallas Wings a victorious one, beating the defending Eastern Conference champion on the road despite the absence of star Skylar Diggins (still recovering from her torn ACL).

The Wings head to D.C. to take on the Mystics on Wednesday before playing their first regular season game in Dallas on Saturday against the in-state rival Stars.

#WNBALeaguePass: Out-of-Market Live Game Subscription Package Revamped

#ShowUp: Liberty Off to 2-0 Start

New year, same result was the theme of Opening Weekend for the New York Liberty. Last season’s best regular-season team — which recorded a franchise-best 23-11 record — swept its back-to-back slate, including a win over the Wings in their 2016 Madison Square Garden Opener.

With guard Epiphanny Prince out due to injury, Sugar Rodgers has stepped up in the early going.

#CelebRow: Who Took in the Action Over the Weekend?

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