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Silver Stars-Monarchs Preview

Jul 29, 2009 - 5:52 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

San Antonio (8-8) at Sacramento (4-15), 2:30 p.m. EDT

The San Antonio Silver Stars are probably in the right place to get their three-game road trip off to a winning start.

The Silver Stars will try to take advantage of the WNBA's worst team Thursday when they look to hand the Sacramento Monarchs a fourth straight home loss.

San Antonio (8-8) is just 2-5 on the road but should relish a chance to visit Sacramento, which is 2-5 at home. This contest precedes games at Seattle and Los Angeles, who are a combined 10-3 on their own courts.

The Silver Stars have lost three straight regular-season games at Arco Arena but won 85-78 there in the opener of last year's Western Conference semifinal series. San Antonio, which has eliminated Sacramento from the playoffs each of the last two years, got 26 points from Becky Hammon in a 62-52 home win over the Monarchs on June 26.

Sophia Young hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift San Antonio to its second straight win Tuesday, 74-71 over the Storm. Hammon scored a team-high 24 and Young added 15 for the Silver Stars, who held a 22-5 edge in bench points.

"You can't just beat people with just five people," Hammon said. "You have to have a good team to beat another good team. So it feels good to get two in a row and now we got to go on the road and bring the same toughness."

San Antonio is seeking its first three-game win streak.

Sacramento (4-15) is back home after losing two of three on the road, falling 87-73 to Washington on Sunday.

Since John Whisenant replaced Jenny Boucek as coach after a 107-105 home loss to Phoenix on July 11, the Monarchs have dropped five of six. Whisenant guided the franchise to its lone title in 2005.

"We've just had a hard time of getting things corrected with five games and five practices in the time since I have taken over," he said. "We haven't consistently improved, and we have to get better."

Sacramento's Nicole Powell will be trying to make amends for her worst effort of the year. The All-Star guard had a season-low two points in last month's loss to the Silver Stars.

The Monarchs are opening a three-game homestand as they try to salvage their dismal season.

"We have 10 home games of our remaining 15," Whisenant said. "We want to start Thursday with winning our home games."