San Antonio Stars

San Antonio Silver Stars
2011 San Antonio Silver Stars season
San Antonio Silver Stars logo
Conference	Western
Founded	1997 (as Utah)
History	Utah Starzz (1997–2002) S.A. Silver Stars (2003–present)
Arena	AT&T Center
Location	San Antonio, Texas
Team colors	Black, Silver, White
Head coach	Dan Hughes
Ownership	Peter Holt
Championships	None
Conference titles	1 (2008)

The San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio before the 2003 season. The team is owned by Peter Holt, who also owns the Silver Stars' NBA counterpart, the San Antonio Spurs.

The Silver Stars have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in four of their eight years in San Antonio. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as all-star point guard Becky Hammon, solid power-forward Sophia Young, former first-overall draft pick Ann Wauters, and seven-foot-two-inch center Margo Dydek. In 2008, the Silver Stars went to the WNBA Finals but they were swept by Detroit.

Franchise history

The Utah Starzz years (1997–2002)

Utah Starzz

Utah Starzz

Main article: Utah Starzz

One of the eight original WNBA teams, the Utah Starzz (partially named after the old ABA team, the Utah Stars, but with the zz at the end like the Utah Jazz) never met the same success as their (former) counterpart in the NBA, the Utah Jazz. They held the distinction of having the worst record in the WNBA in 1997 and were the first team to select in the 1998 WNBA Draft. With their selection, they picked 7 ft. 2 in. center Margo Dydek, who easily became the tallest player in WNBA history. Unfortunately, the pickup of Dydek did little to help their cause and they again finished near the bottom of the league in the 1998 & 1999 seasons. The Starzz finally posted a winning record in 2000, but did not make the playoffs. In 2001, the Utah Starzz made it to the playoffs for the first time, but they were quickly swept in the first round by the Sacramento Monarchs. In 2002, the Starzz made it to the playoffs again, and this time beat the Houston Comets in the Western Conference Semifinals 2 games to 1. Their playoff run ended in the Western Finals, however, as they were swept aside by the eventual champs, the Los Angeles Sparks.

Relocation to San Antonio

When the NBA divested itself of all of its WNBA franchises at the end of the 2002 season, the Utah Jazz ownership did not wish to retain ownership of the Starzz. The Starzz then looked for local Utah potential buyers, but none were found, leaving the franchise with the choices of either being sold to out-of-town investor(s) or folding.

The Starzz avoided being folded when the franchise was sold to Peter Holt (the owner of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs) and relocated to San Antonio, Texas. The team's name was changed to the San Antonio Silver Stars and would change its team colors to the silver and black motif used by the Spurs.

The Stars fall short (2003–2006)

Immediately after moving, the new Silver Stars made major roster moves, as they traded star Natalie Williams along with Coretta Brown to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Sylvia Crawley and Gwen Jackson. After losing seasons in 2003 and 2004, the team then traded away star Margo Dydek.

For the first four seasons (2003–2006) after moving to San Antonio, the franchise was unable to change its old losing trend and did not make the playoffs, in sharp contrast to their current NBA counterpart, the San Antonio Spurs. From 1997-2002, the Utah Starzz had a record of 87-99. From 2003-2006, the San Antonio Silver Stars record was 41-88.

Picking things up (2007–2008)

The 2007 season brought a lot of change for the Silver Stars. They acquired stars Becky Hammon, Ruth Riley, and Sandora Irvin in trades, selected Helen Darling in Charlotte Sting's dispersal draft, drafted Camille Little in the second round, signed Erin Buescher during the off-season, and retained key players, such as Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Vickie Johnson, Shanna Crossley, Kendra Wecker, and Sophia Young. The new-look Silver Stars became an instant contender in the Western Conference. On August 4, 2007 the Silver Stars clinched their first playoff berth since the franchise relocated to San Antonio in 2003. In the first round, the Silver Stars were matched up against the Sacramento Monarchs. After losing game 1 in Sacramento, the Silver Stars would win games 2 and 3 to advance to the Western Finals. The Silver Stars faced off against a strong Phoenix Mercury team, which had the number 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Silver Stars would lose Game 1 at home 102-100 on a controversial call by ref Lisa Mattingly. Mattingly called a foul on Shanna Crossley with 2.1 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 100. Replay showed that Crossley made no contact with Phoenix's Cappie Pondexter. However, Pondexter was sent to the line and made both free throws and Crossley's half-court shot to win the game nearly went in. On September 1, 2007 the Silver Stars' season came to an end after the Stars lost Game 2 98-92 in Phoenix.

File:San Antonio Silver Stars uniform 2011.jpg

Current road uniform

Heading into in 2008, the Silver Stars were regarded as a premiere contender and did not disappoint. After an average start, the Stars seized control of the Western Conference and rode to the best record in the West, and the #1 seed in the playoffs. In the first round, the Silver Stars once again faced off against the Sacramento Monarchs. Unlike 2007, the Stars won Game 1 on the road, 85-78. But the Monarchs would prove pesky, spoiling a potential clinch in Game 2 crushing the Silver Stars at home 84-67. Now the Silver Stars had to win game 3 or face an offseason of disappointment. In the Game, the Silver Stars would secure a 14 point lead and it seemed over. But a late rally by the Monarchs, including the last seven points in regulation, sent the game into overtime. In overtime, the Silver Stars clamped down and proved they were the better team, defeating the Monarchs 86-81, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the second season in a row. In the West Finals, the Stars faced the resurgent Los Angeles Sparks team. In Game 1 in LA, the Stars took an early lead, but an 11-0 run by the Sparks into the half changed the tempo of the game and the Sparks took Game 1 85-70. In Game 2, the Silver Stars blew a fourteen point lead in the final quarter, as the Sparks took a one point lead with 1.3 seconds left. The Stars season was over unless there would be a miracle. Fortunately for the Stars, Sophia Young delivered with a 14-foot turnaround shot to lift the Silver Stars to a 67-66 game 2. It came down to Game 3, with a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line. The two teams battled down the stretch, but the stellar play of Becky Hammon, who had 35 points and 4 crucial free throws, would lift the Silver Stars to their first WNBA Finals, defeating the Sparks 76-72. In the WNBA Finals, the Silver Stars faced the Detroit Shock, who were making their third WNBA Finals appearance in a row. In Game 1 at home, the Silver Stars fell behind early, but would tie the game at 69 with 2:15 left in the 4th quarter. But from there the Shock took control once again and won the game 77-69.

Struggling stars (2009–2010)

By the time the 2009 season opened, San Antonio were already on a struggling basis, being stuck in fourth place in the West throughout the year. However, the Silver Stars eventually started to rise a bit and later clinched a playoff berth, despite a sub-500 record of 15-19. After winning the first game against the Phoenix Mercury, the Silver Stars were unable to recover and lost the remaining two games to lose the series 2-1.

The 2010 season was not much different for the Stars. They finished with an unimpressive 14-20 record but sneaked into the third seed of the playoffs in a below-average Western Conference. The Silver Stars were swept in the first round of the playoffs by Phoenix and it was clear that some changes were needed.

Stars align in San Antonio (2011–present)

In early 2011, it was announced that the Silver Stars would host the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game.

The Silver Stars started the 2011 season with a 7-3 record, led by the return of former head coach Dan Hughes. Along with the quality play from Becky Hammon and Sophia Young, three rookies made the Silver Stars' roster in 2011. Danielle Robinson, Danielle Adams, and Porsha Phillips were all drafted in 2011. Adams' play was so good that she was awarded the honor of being named Rookie of the Month for June, beating out top draft picks Maya Moore and Liz Cambage.

Uniforms

• 1997–2002: At home, white with blue and purple trim. Starzz logo test is on the chest in purple. Away from home, teal with white Starzz logo text on the chest and blue trim on the sides. Starzz logo "U" is on the right leg of the shorts.
• 2003–2006: At home, silver with black trim. Stars logo text is on the chest in black. Away from home, black with silver trim. Stars logo text is on the chest in white.
• 2007–2010: At home, silver with black stars down the side. Stars logo text is on the chest in black. Away from home, black with silver stars down the side. San Antonio text is on the chest in white. Player's names are beneath their numbers on the back of the uniform.
• 2011–present: As part of the move to Adidas's Revolution 30 technology, the Silver Stars made subtle changes such as rounded numbers and team nickname on both uniforms.

Players

Current roster

Las Vegas Aces roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs F 1 Bell, Kierstan 6' 1" (1.85m) 176 lb (80kg) 2000-03-16 Florida Gulf Coast 2 F 7 Clark, Alysha 5' 11" (1.8m) 167 lb (76kg) 1987-07-07 Middle Tennessee 11 G 51 Colson, Sydney 5' 8" (1.73m) 140 lb (64kg) 1989-08-06 Texas A&M 9 F/C Egbo, Queen 6' 4" (1.93m) 190 lb (86kg) 2000-06-29 Baylor 2 G 12 Gray, Chelsea 5' 11" (1.8m) 170 lb (77kg) 1992-10-08 Duke 9 C 17 Gustafson, Megan 6' 3" (1.91m) 195 lb (88kg) 1996-12-13 Iowa 5 G 15 Hayes, Tiffany 5' 10" (1.78m) 155 lb (70kg) 1989-09-20 Connecticut 11 C Kitley, Elizabeth  (DP) 6' 5" (1.96m) 2001-09-17 Virginia Tech R G 20 Martin, Kate 6' 0" (1.83m) 172 lb (78kg) 2000-06-05 Iowa R G 10 Plum, Kelsey 5' 8" (1.73m) 145 lb (66kg) 1994-08-24 Washington 6 C 41 Stokes, Kiah 6' 3" (1.91m) 191 lb (87kg) 1993-03-30 Connecticut 8 F 22 Wilson, A'ja 6' 4" (1.93m) 195 lb (88kg) 1996-08-08 South Carolina 6 G 0 Young, Jackie 6' 0" (1.83m) 165 lb (75kg) 1997-09-16 Notre Dame 5	Head coach Becky Hammon (Colorado State) Assistant coaches Natalie Nakase (UCLA) Tyler Marsh (Birmingham–Southern) Charlene Thomas-Swinson (Auburn) Athletic trainer Michelle Anumba (Duke) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured   WNBA roster page
East ATL CHI CON IND NY WAS West DAL LV LA MIN PHO SEA

Former players

• Chantelle Anderson (2005–2007)
• Jennifer Azzi (2000–2003)
• Elena Baranova (1997–1999)
• Shanna Crossley (2006–2007, 2009), now a member of the Tulsa Shock
• Helen Darling (2007–2010)
• Margo Dydek (1998–2004)
• Shyra Ely (2005–2006), now a member of the Indiana Fever
• Marie Ferdinand (2001–2007), now a member of the Phoenix Mercury
• Adrienne Goodson (1999–2004)

  

  The AT&T Center, home of the Silver Stars

• Dena Head (1997–1998)
• Chamique Holdsclaw (2010)
• Shannon "Pee Wee" Johnson (2004–2006)
• Vickie Johnson (2006–2009), now assistant coach for the Silver Stars
• Wendy Palmer-Daniel (1997–1999, 2005)
• Erin Buescher Perperoglou (2007–2009)
• Semeka Randall (2002–2004)
• Olympia Scott (1998–1999)
• Michelle Snow (2010), now a member of the Chicago Sky
• Kate Starbird (2000–2002)
• LaToya Thomas (2004–2006)
• Ann Wauters (2008–2009)
• Natalie Williams (1999–2002)

Coaches and staff

Owners

• Larry H. Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz (1997–2002)
• Peter Holt, owner of the San Antonio Spurs (2003–present)

Head coaches

San Antonio Silver Stars head coaches

Name Start End Seasons Regular season Playoffs W L PCT G W L PCT G Denise Taylor April 19, 1997 July 27, 1998 2 13 34 .277 47 0 0 .000 0 Frank Layden July 27, 1998 June 21, 1999 2 4 11 .267 15 0 0 .000 0 Fred Williams June 21, 1999 July 6, 2001 3 36 37 .493 73 0 0 .000 0 Candi Harvey July 6, 2001 July 26, 2003 3 40 33 .548 73 2 5 .286 7 Shell Dailey July 26, 2003 October 30, 2003 1 6 6 .500 12 0 0 .000 0 Dee Brown October 30, 2003 July 30, 2004 1 6 20 .231 26 0 0 .000 0 Shell Dailey August 10, 2004 end of 2004 1 3 5 .375 8 0 0 .000 0 Shell Dailey Total 2 9 11 .450 20 0 0 .000 0 Dan Hughes January 4, 2005 February 25, 2010 5 79 91 .465 170 7 10 .412 17 Sandy Brondello February 25, 2010 September 27, 2010 1 14 20 .412 34 0 2 .000 2 Dan Hughes January 28, 2011 Current 1 12 8 .600 20 0 0 .000 0 Dan Hughes Total 6 91 99 .479 190 7 10 .412 17

General managers

• Jay Francis (1997–2004)
• Dan Hughes (2005–present)

Assistant coaches

• Greg Williams (1997)
• Fred Williams (1998)
• Michael Layden (1999)
• Candi Harvey (1999–2000)
• Richard Smith (1999–2000)
• Tammy Reiss (2001–2003)
• Bobby Morse (2002)
• Shell Dailey (2003–2004)
• Vonn Read (2004)
• Brian Agler (2005–2007)
• Sandy Brondello (2005–2009)
• Vanessa Nygaard (2008)
• Olaf Lange (2008–2010)
• Vickie Johnson (2011–present)
• Steve Shuman (2011–present)

Media coverage

For up-to-date media coverage information, see 2011 San Antonio Silver Stars season.

Currently, some Silver Stars games are broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest (FS-SW), which is a local television station for the state of Texas. More often than not, NBA TV will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Silver Stars games are Andrew Monaco and Brenda VanLengan.

All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Silver Stars games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN, which will pay right fees to the Silver Stars, as well as other teams in the league.

All-time notes

Regular season attendance

• A sellout for a basketball game at Delta Center (Utah) is 19,911.
• A sellout for a basketball game at AT&T Center (San Antonio) is 18,581.

Regular season all-time attendance

Utah Starzz Year Average High Low Sellouts Total for year WNBA game average 1997 7,611 (8th) 9,858 5,783 0 106,555 9,669 1998 8,104 (8th) 15,657 5,761 0 121,560 10,869 1999 7,544 (11th) 14,783 4,648 0 120,706 10,207 2000 6,420 (15th) 8,803 4,934 0 102,722 9,074 2001 6,907 (13th) 11,519 4,503 0 110,507 9,105 2002 7,420 (11th) 12,578 5,103 0 118,720 9,228 San Antonio Silver Stars Year Average High Low Sellouts Total for year WNBA game average 2003 10,384 (3rd) 15,593 7,692 0 176,526 8,826 2004 8,320 (6th) 10,506 5,764 0 141,444 8,589 2005 7,944 (8th) 9,772 5,508 0 135,054 8,172 2006 7,386 (10th) 10,634 5,998 0 125,564 7,476 2007 7,569 (10th) 10,262 4,070 0 128,680 7,819 2008 7,984 (9th) 16,255 5,705 0 135,722 7,948 2009 7,527 (10th) 10,572 4,723 0 127,957 8,029 2010 8,041 (7th) 12,414 4,924 0 136,696 7,834 2011 8,753 (5th) 12,406 6,769 0 in progress 7,892

Draft picks

• 1997 Elite: Dena Head (1), Wendy Palmer (9)
• 1997: Tammi Reiss (5), Jessie Hicks (12), Reagan Scott (21), Kim Williams (28)
• 1998: Margo Dydek (1), Olympia Scott (11), LaTonya Johnson (21), Tricia Bader (31)
• 1999: Natalie Williams (3), Debbie Black (15), Adrienne Goodson (27), Dalma Ivanyi (39)
• 2000: Naomi Mulitauaopele (12), Stacy Frese (35), Kristen Rasmussen (51)
• 2001: Marie Ferdinand (8), Michaela Pavlickova (24), Shea Ralph (40), Cara Conseugra (56)
• 2002: Danielle Crockrom (11), LaNeishea Caufield (14), Andrea Gardner (27), Edmarie Lumbsley (43), Jacklyn Winfield (59)
• 2003 Miami/Portland Dispersal Draft: LaQuanda Barksdale (12)
• 2003: Coretta Brown (11), Ke-Ke Tardy (25), Brooke Armistead (40)
• 2004 Cleveland Dispersal Draft: LaToya Thomas (3)
• 2004: Cindy Dallas (21), Toccara Williams (34)
• 2005: Kendra Wecker (4), Shyra Ely (14), Catherine Kraayeveld (27)
• 2006: Sophia Young (4), Shanna Crossley (16), Khara Smith (30)
• 2007 Charlotte Dispersal Draft: Helen Darling (4)
• 2007: Camille Little (17), Nare Diawara (30)
• 2008: Chioma Nnamaka (21), Alex Anderson (39)
• 2009 Houston Dispersal Draft: selection waived
• 2009: Megan Frazee (14), Sonja Petrovic (26), Candyce Bingham (39)
• 2010 Sacramento Dispersal Draft: Laura Harper (5)
• 2010: Jayne Appel (5), Alysha Clark (17), Alexis Rack (29)
• 2011: Danielle Robinson (6), Danielle Adams (20), Porsha Phillips (30)

Trades

• May 5, 1998: The Starzz traded Lady Harmon to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Chantel Tremitiere.
• May 8, 1998: The Starzz traded Karen Booker to the Houston Comets in exchange for Fran Harris.
• July 29, 1999: The Starzz traded Wendy Palmer and Olympia Scott-Richardson to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Korie Hlede and Cindy Brown.
• April 24, 2000: The Starzz traded the third and eighth picks in the 2000 Draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Jennifer Azzi and the 12th pick in the 2000 Draft.
• April 18, 2002: The Starzz traded Korie Hlede to the New York Liberty in exchange for the 14th pick in the 2002 Draft.
• January 28, 2004: The Silver Stars traded the fourth, 16th, and 29th picks in the 2004 Draft to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Shannon Johnson, the 21st and the 34th picks in the 2004 Draft.
• July 19, 2004: The Silver Stars traded Gwen Jackson to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Adrian Williams.
• April 16, 2005: The Silver Stars traded Margo Dydek to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Katie Feenstra and a first-round pick in the 2006 Draft.
• May 18, 2005: The Silver Stars traded Connecticut's first-round pick in the 2006 Draft to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Chantelle Anderson.
• February 21, 2007: The Silver Stars traded a second-round pick in the 2007 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Sandora Irvin.
• February 22, 2007: The Silver Stars traded Katie Feenstra and the right to swap first-round picks in the 2008 Draft to the Detroit Shock in exchange for Ruth Riley.
• April 4, 2007: The Silver Stars traded Jessica Davenport and a first-round pick in the 2008 Draft to the New York Liberty in exchange for Becky Hammon and a second-round pick in the 2008 Draft.
• April 9, 2008: The Silver Stars traded Camille Little, Chioma Nnamaka, and a first-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Ann Wauters, Morenike Atunrase, and a second-round pick in the 2009 Draft.
• February 19, 2010: The Silver Stars acquired Roneeka Hodges from the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the right to swap second-round picks in the 2011 Draft.
• March 11, 2010: The Silver Stars acquired Michelle Snow from the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Dalma Ivanyi and the right to swap second-round picks in the 2011 Draft.
• April 14, 2010: The Silver Stars traded Shanna Crossley to the Tulsa Shock in exchange for Crystal Kelly.
• April 20, 2011: The Silver Stars traded Michelle Snow to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Jia Perkins.
• May 2, 2011: The Silver Stars traded second- and third-round picks in the 2012 Draft to the Tulsa Shock in exchange for Scholanda Robinson.

All-Stars

• 1997: No All-Star Game
• 1998: No All-Star Game
• 1999: Natalie Williams
• 2000: Natalie Williams
• 2001: Natalie Williams
• 2002: Marie Ferdinand, Adrienne Goodson
• 2003: Margo Dydek, Marie Ferdinand
• 2004: Shannon Johnson
• 2005: Marie Ferdinand
• 2006: Sophia Young
• 2007: Becky Hammon, Sophia Young
• 2008: No All-Star Game
• 2009: Becky Hammon, Sophia Young
• 2010: Jayne Appel, Becky Hammon, Michelle Snow, Sophia Young
• 2011: Danielle Adams, Becky Hammon

Honors and awards

• 1997 All-WNBA Second Team: Wendy Palmer
• 1999 All-WNBA First Team: Natalie Williams
• 2000 All-WNBA First Team: Natalie Williams
• 2000 Peak Performer (FT%): Jennifer Azzi
• 2001 All-WNBA First Team: Natalie Williams
• 2005 All-Rookie Team: Katie Feenstra
• 2006 All-Rookie Team: Sophia Young
• 2007 All-WNBA First Team: Becky Hammon
• 2007 All-WNBA Second Team: Sophia Young
• 2007 All-Rookie Team: Camille Little
• 2007 Coach of the Year: Dan Hughes
• 2007 Peak Performer (Assists): Becky Hammon
• 2008 All-WNBA First Team: Sophia Young
• 2008 All-WNBA Second Team: Becky Hammon
• 2008 All-Defensive First Team: Sophia Young
• 2008 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Vickie Johnson
• 2009 All-WNBA First Team: Becky Hammon
• 2009 All-WNBA Second Team: Sophia Young

External links

• Template:WNBATeam
• May 31, 2005 Deseret News article on former Utah Starzz players
• Official Website of Sophia Young