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The opening night in the WNBA features some of the most hyped-up games of the season. Teams like to put out a statement in their opening game and so do players.
Since its inauguration, the league has seen some of the greatest performances by a player on the opening night. Here's the list of best performances by a WNBA player on the inaugural night of the season.
Five best WNBA opening night performances
#5 Tina Charles (2019)
Tina Charles established herself as one of the greatest to play basketball. On May 24, 2019, she recorded one of the greatest opening night performances in the league history.
In a win against the Indiana Fever (81-80), Charles, who was playing for the New York Liberty, had a massive double-double. She scored 32 points, on 11-of-23 shooting. Charles also had 12 rebounds in the win.
#4 Betnijah Laney (2021)
In 2021, Betnijah Laney joined the New York Liberty after a trade from the Atlanta Dream. Her first game for the Liberty became a historic night in the WNBA. She had an impressive performance in a win against the Indiana Fever (90-87).
On May 14, 2021, Laney scored 30 points in the win over Fever and shot 11-of-18 and 4-of-5 shots from beyond the arc. Her over 60% field goal percentage and over 80% field goal percentage from the 3-point line were one of the most efficient performances on the opening night.
#3 Elena Delle Donne (2015)
Elena Delle Donne announced her candidacy for the Most Valuable Player award in her opening game of the 2015 season. She recorded one of the greatest opening game performances against the Indiana Fever on June 5, 2015.
Chicago Sky’s Donne had a massive 31-point game in a blowout win against the Fever (72-95). She shot 11-of-20 attempts from the field. She also recorded eight rebounds, three steals and four blocks. The same season, Donne was declared the MVP of the league.
#2 Maya Moore (2014)
Maya Morre played only eight seasons in the league and is still considered one of the greatest players to step on the basketball court. She retired early from basketball to fight for the release of her future husband who was illegally convicted. She has now dedicated her life to social causes.
On May 16, 2014, Moore and the Minnesota Lynx played the Washington Mystics on the opening night of the 2014 WNBA season. She gave one of the most complete performances of the opening night in the WNBA.
Moore scored 34 points on 11-of-21 shots and also recorded nine rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in the game.
#1 Candace Parker (2008)
Candace Parker is, by a wide consensus, the greatest rookie the league has ever seen. Her numbers in her first season were so impressive that she was the Rookie of The Year and the MVP in the same season.
Perhaps her first game in the WNBA should have been enough for her upcoming dominance in her first season. In her first WNBA game on May 17, 2008, Parker recorded 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from the 3-point line.
In the LA Sparks' win over the Phoenix Mercury (99-94), Parker was dominant on both ends of the floor. She also had 12 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block.
