Final
Silver Stars-Sky Preview
Jul 18, 2009 - 8:24 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS WriterSan Antonio (6-7) at Chicago (7-8), 6:00 p.m. EDT
The San Antonio Silver Stars haven't demonstrated much consistency lately, but a matchup with the slumping Chicago Sky may help them solve that problem.
The Silver Stars look to win their fourth straight over Chicago on Saturday when they try for their third consecutive road victory.
San Antonio (6-7) has alternated wins and losses in its last eight games, falling 72-64 to Connecticut on Friday. Becky Hammon led the Silver Stars with 24 points, but the rest of the starters combined for 14 and the team shot 35.2 percent from the field.
"We didn't shoot well enough and we needed to come out more determined," Hammon said. "Connecticut just came out and made shots and played well tonight."
The Silver Stars are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the WNBA at 71.3 points per game, but had averaged 77.3 in their previous three. Sophia Young was averaging 19.7 points during that stretch, but she was held to a season-low six on 3-of-14 shooting Friday.
San Antonio will look to bounce back when it faces a team it's already defeated this season. The Silver Stars won 85-72 over Chicago (7-8) at home July 3 as Hammon had 14 points and 10 assists while Young had 19 points and eight rebounds. San Antonio swept the two-game season series in 2008.
Sylvia Fowles did not play in Chicago's July 3 loss because of a sore right knee. Fowles has missed five of the last six games, including an 84-74 loss at Indiana on Wednesday. The Sky have dropped all of the games she has sat out.
Chicago has been outrebounded in four of the five games Fowles, the league's leading rebounder at 8.6 per game, has missed. San Antonio outrebounded the Sky 31-21 two weeks ago.
Chicago shot well in its last game, but its own errors would prove too much to overcome. The Sky shot 50.9 percent against the Fever but trailed by 17 in the second half as they struggled with 21 turnovers. They were outrebounded by seven and allowed 11 offensive boards - something the team attributed to Fowles' absence.
"It definitely makes a difference because she takes up a lot of room in the paint and we have more scoring in the paint," said Candice Dupree, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds. "And she also takes up the slack in rebounding. But, you can't dwell on that, and you have to be ready to play."
Making things even more difficult for the Sky is that they've played five of their last six away from home. They'll play four of their next five at UIC Pavilion, where they're 5-1.
Fowles and Dupree were named as starters to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, while Hammon earned a starting spot for the West.
- WNBA
SAN ANTONIO 75
CHICAGO 85 FINAL
Jul 19 8:31 PM - WNBA
SAN ANTONIO 7
CHICAGO 22 END, 1ST QTR
Jul 19 6:30 PM
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