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Silver Stars wrap 3-0 preseason
While ambling the AT&T Center sidelines Tuesday — a little slower on this night, thanks to an offseason Achilles injury — Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes, as has become his custom, thought aloud.
"Put 'em under duress," he said.
Whether they heard or not, the Silver Stars heeded Hughes' instruction.
Forcing Connecticut into 31 turnovers, the Silver Stars swarmed the Sun for an 86-53 preseason victory in front of an announced crowd of 3,296.
The victory improved the Silver Stars' preseason mark to 3-0, and they open their regular season Saturday in Phoenix, which closed last season on a seven-game winning streak.
That fact wasn't lost on Hughes.
"You throw away the score in the preseason," Hughes said. "Today is a good day, but tomorrow has to be just as good. Better."
On Tuesday, at least, the Silver Stars were able to use their athleticism and speed to prey on a Connecticut squad playing on the back end of a back-to-back — a rarity in the preseason.
"That's just good scheduling," Hughes deadpanned.
Against the Silver Stars' heated ball pressure, the Sun threw the ball with stunning regularity to courtside patrons, and the Silver Stars converted those giveaways into 33 points.
Erin Buescher led the Silver Stars with 16 points and spearheaded the team's energized effort on the offensive glass. Buescher has five of the Silver Stars' 19 offensive rebounds.
Becky Hammon added 14 points, while Ruth Riley and Vickie Johnson — the last team members to arrive in camp last week after their offseason overseas duties were completed — combined for 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Shanna Crossley came off the bench to score 10.
In a pivotal third quarter — the Sun closed to within 37-31 with 8:45 to play in the period — the Silver Stars used a 20-6 run to unofficially put the game under wraps.
Connecticut attempted only nine field goals in the quarter and hit only four.
The Silver Stars' upgraded offensive output — they scored 86 points or more just six times last year — was evident in the third. With crisp ball movement and spacing, the Silver Stars converted 11 of 17 shots from the field.
"We work hard, very hard on that," Crossley said. "We're trying to read each other. We have penetrators, kicker, shooters — we have the whole deal. We're just trying to figure each other out."
And, ultimately, that's what Hughes wanted to see against Connecticut. Margin of victory aside, how can this team fit together?
"Above all, it's chemistry," Hughes said. "We're still trying to learn that with each other, but I thought we had real valuable moments. We just need time."
The Silver Stars get three days, then they get Phoenix.
Hopefully Beno will get some playing time
ROFLMAO
No, Phoenix would throw a trap and him and he'd turn the ball over.
All kidding aside, the silverstars should have it's best season in (short) franchise history. Some great off season work by the front office. Riley and Hammon bring veteran leadership and Buescher is bound to have a great season. Sophia Young is on her way to being a superstar.
I was there right behind the Connecticutt bench and I enjoyed the game a lot.
The Silver Stars deserve some respect for what they are doing right here in San Antonio.
I was especialy impressed by Erin Buescher.
With Marie back and all of the off-season aquisitions, this season is going to rock.
Did they change coaches since they drafted Sophia Young? The only game I caught her rookie year they were jacking up a lot of crappy shots and not playing defense. Most high school boys teams could have beaten them by 50. If they actually play smart basketball for a change I might watch.
they open their regular season Saturday in Phoenix,
You mean the Silver Stars are in Phoenix today?
Hope there's extra security.
Dan Hughes is a good coach. He's just been trying to put the right pieces together. I think they've finally found some good chemistry and leadership.
Oh, and thanks for pinning the thread. That was a nice surprise.
But if they take terrible shots and turn the ball over it doesn't matter. Sophia is a great post player and if nobody ever gives her the ball she'll score about three points per game.
how many of you people are gay or lesbiens? wnba has a few more seasons till extinction.
i went to high school with shanna crosley (used to be shanna zolman). she's a local legend up here in my tiny northern indiana town.
David Stern is determined for the WNBA to be a success. He's not going to back away from it as easily as you think.
And you don't have to be gay to like women's basketball.
Women's Sports Insider: Give the WNBA another shot
In less than a week, the WNBA will tip off its 11th season, after an offseason of change.
Teams were sold. Teams folded. Rules changed, and so did the uniforms.
And maybe we should just look at all of that as simply change – not positive, not negative – just change.
Certainly, recent years haven’t been good for the league in terms of attendance or widespread support. But that has the eyes and ears of the WNBA powers-that-be, and they are doing what they can to generate more interest in the game.
There were tons of energy and hype when the league kicked off in 1997 with its “We got next” advertising campaign, and behind the personalities of people like Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Lisa Leslie there was definite interest in the games, the teams and the people.
No question, that has waned of late. The games sometimes grew boring – well, you know the argument.
They’re trying to change that though. Rule changes – including going to a 24-second shot clock and four periods instead of two halves – have helped the pace and the scoring output.
Not every team can be Phoenix, but hopefully they’re trying. That’s what will win fans.
And who are the fans? Maybe this summer, we’ll see more families in the arenas, with children – boys and girls alike – wearing players’ jerseys. A league-wide marketing effort has been focused this season towards winning over family audiences and also getting more females in the seats.
So, embrace the change. And if you’re willing, embrace the league again. You gave it a chance 11 years ago, and even if it turned you off, they’re trying to turn you back on.
It just might work.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....671980ed.html
Inside the Silver Stars
ESPN.com
What makes you want to watch this team?
New arrival Becky Hammon and her former Liberty teammate Vickie Johnson hope to be a stabilizing force in the backcourt for a Silver Stars team that might be knocking on the door to the playoffs. At center, Ruth Riley brings the experience of two WNBA les while with Detroit. Another addition to the team this season who could really impact its success is Erin Buescher, who won a WNBA le with Sacramento. It will be intriguing to see how quickly these players all come together in San Antonio. -- ESPN.com's Mec e Voepel
What's the best-case scenario for the team? Worst-case?
Best of times: The Silver Stars keep building on the youth movement that brought them to the brink of the playoffs last season. Sophia Young keeps up her challenge to Minnesota's Seimone Augustus and Phoenix's Cappie Pondexter for the le of best player in her loaded draft class, matching last season's defensive and rebounding prowess with a consistent 17-18 points a night on the offensive end. Happy to have a championship ring and be out of what appeared to be a bad personal situation in Detroit, Ruth Riley brings experience to the frontcourt and provides an offensive counter to keep defenses from targeting Young with too much pressure. Blessed with the kind of options she didn't have in recent years with the Liberty, Becky Hammon settles into the first year of her 30s by setting a career high in assists and unleashing her outside range and off-the-dribble scoring when needed. Marie Ferdinand-Harris, unen bered by a need to carry the scoring load, is able to work her way back into the flow after missing last season to have a baby. And with all those parts clicking, Erin Buescher, Helen Darling, Sandora Irvin and even a hopefully healthy Kendra Wecker settle in as effective role players on a deep team.
Worst of times: Riley proves that it wasn't just frustration with her role or with Bill Laimbeer's personality that handcuffed her production in Detroit, leaving the Silver Stars without a proven answer in the middle. Young remains a budding star but doesn't come around quite as much on the offensive end, forcing Hammon to start firing up shots at the same rate she had to in the Big Apple and putting pressure on Ferdinand-Harris to regain her form in a hurry. The defensive intensity doesn't pick up as a result of Buescher's arrival or Ferdinand-Harris' return, and none of the young players, including Irvin, Wecker, Shanna Crossley (née Zolman) and rookie Camille Little, emerges as a reliable reserve, leaving the rotation decidedly thin. All of which results in stagnation and frustration for a team fully poised to take the next step. -- ESPN.com's Graham Hays
Did offseason changes make the team better, the same or worse?
Better. Incredibly better, in fact. The Silver Stars might be the most improved team in the league after several huge offseason moves, highlighted by the draft-day trade for superstar Becky Hammon from the Liberty. San Antonio also added Ruth Riley, a three-time champ (if you include her NCAA le at Notre Dame) and former WNBA Finals MVP, and Erin Buescher, last season's most improved player and one of the league's top reserves in 2006. In addition to Hammon, San Antonio bolstered its backcourt by drafting Helen Darling in the dispersal draft. -- ESPN's Nancy Lieberman
http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/previ...ory?id=2872016
And btw, the Silver Stars are playing Phoenix tonight on NBA-TV.
http://www.wnba.com/games/20070519/SANPHO/preview.html
Shouldn't this be in "Other Sports"??? Because it's not NBA related...or even b-ball related for that matter...
I always make fun of the WNBA which is really not fair since I have never given it a real chance.
I have a few friends who could make it there in the next few years so I guess I ought to quit with the smack talking.
Maybe I will even go to a Stars game this season.
I will keep an open mind to this season, I have never watched a game in my life, so I cant talk .
Go Stars Go?
I've been to several games and have enjoyed them. I hope the Silver Stars do well and that they're able to win over fans. I realize it's not the NBA or D-1 men's hoops, but the women play hard. It reminds me a bit of watching minor league baseball -- there's a lot of fun stuff going on for the fans and the game is just part of the show. The on-court game is different than its major league counterpart, but that doesn't mean it's a bad game, IMO.
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