Women’s National Basketball Association (2003-2017)
Tombstone
Born: December 5, 2002 – The Utah Starzz relocate to San Antonio, TX
Moved: October 2017 (Las Vegas Aces)
First Game: May 24, 2003 (W 65-56 vs. Seattle Storm)
Last Game: September 2, 2017 (W 75-71 @ Indiana Fever)
WNBA Championships: None
Arenas
2003-2014 & 2016-2017: AT&T Center (9,888)
2015: Freeman Coliseum
Branding
Team Colors: Silver & Black
Mascot: “The Fox”
Ownership
Owner: Spurs Sports & Entertainment (Peter Holt)
Background
The San Antonio Silver Stars (or, simply, the “Stars” for their final seasons from 2014-2017) were the WNBA companions to the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs for fifteen summers. Both teams were owned by Peter Holt’s Spurs Sports & Entertainment and the Stars adopted the Spurs’ long-time silver-and-black color palette.
The franchise arrived in the Alamo City in 2003 after six years in Salt Lake City. In Utah, the team was operated by the NBA’s Utah Jazz and known (inanely) as the “Starzz”. After a rough start in the WNBA’s debut season of 1997 – last in the standings, last in attendance – the club was on the upswing by the early 2000’s. The 2002 Starzz made it to the WNBA’s conference finals following a franchise best 20-12 regular season.
That success did not carry over to the club’s early years in San Antonio. From 2003 to 2006, the Silver Stars failed to qualify for the playoffs and never finished better than 6th place in their division.
Acquisition of Becky Hammon & WNBA Finals Appearance
The Silver Stars’ fortunes began to improve in 2007, sparked by the draft day acquisition of WNBA All-Star point guard Becky Hammon from the New York Liberty that April. The club posted its first winning record in 2007 and made the playoffs for the first time. In 2008, the Silver Stars won their conference for the first and only time in the regular season and advanced to the WNBA finals. They were swept by the Detroit Shock in three games.
The team never got back to the heights of 2008, although they would make the playoffs in five of the next six seasons. In July 2014, Becky Hammon announced she would retire at the end of the season after 16 campaigns. She would leave the game as ranked 6th all-time in the WNBA in games played, 7th in scoring, 4th in assists and 1st in free throw shooting percentage.
Final Seasons & Move To Vegas
Hammon’s departure coincided with the end of the Stars’ competitive relevance. San Antonio finished with the worst record in the WNBA in 2015, 2016 and 2017. 2015 was particularly grim, as summertime renovations at the AT&T Center forced the Stars to play their entire schedule at the 68-year old Freeman Coliseum. The Stars had the worst attendance in the WNBA (4,831 per game) in 2015.
Spurs Sports & Entertainment sold the Stars to MGM Resorts International in October 2017. The club moved to Nevada and became the Las Vegas Aces for the 2018 WNBA season.
San Antonio Silver Stars Video
Stars host the New York Liberty at the AT&T Center. August 1, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK8Sk1IiKgk
In Memoriam
Center Margo Dydek (Silver Stars ’03-’04) passed away on May 27, 2011 in Australia, eight days after suffering a massive heart attack. New York Times obituary.
Downloads
2013 San Antonio Silver Stars Media Guide
2013 San Antonio Silver Stars Media Guide
2014 San Antonio Stars Media Guide
2017 San Antonio Stars Media Guide
Links
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