• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Stars-Storm Preview

Aug 27, 2015 - 9:22 PM The stakes are still high for the Seattle Storm and San Antonio Stars, though one of the two's already slim postseason chances will be reduced to near nil following Friday's matchup at KeyArena.

Each remains alive - albeit barely - in the Western Conference playoff race despite owning the WNBA's two worst records. Seattle (7-20) trails fourth-place Los Angeles by 3 1/2 games with seven to play, with San Antonio (7-21) another half-game back with six remaining.

The Storm lost further ground following Friday's 75-63 loss to Indiana and the Sparks' 90-59 rout at fading San Antonio on Sunday. The loss was the Stars' fifth straight, with the last three all at home by an average of 25.3 points.

San Antonio hasn't fared any better on the road, going 0-13. That includes a 72-63 defeat in Seattle on Aug. 16, one of the Storm's only two wins in their last 10 games.

Seattle's Jewell Loyd had 18 points that evening and 15 in Friday's loss to the Fever, with the rookie shooting 7 for 11 both games. The No. 1 overall draft pick was a bright spot on a night when the Storm were outscored 30-9 by Indiana in the third quarter after leading by six at halftime.

"I thought we played a good game for three quarters but we really laid an egg in the third quarter," coach Jenny Boucek told the team's official site. "And against good teams, which Indiana is a very good team, you just have to have 40 minutes of sustained focus and effort."

Loyd has tallied 15 or more points in four of the past six games as she enters another showdown with former Notre Dame teammate Kayla McBride. The second-year standout has averaged 20.7 points in three 2015 meetings with Seattle, and the Stars won the first two.

McBride has been off lately, shooting 10 of 32 from the field in the past two games and 2 for 8 on 3-pointers. She was 19 of 35 (54.3 percent) from beyond the arc in her previous five contests.

Backcourt mate Jia Perkins also is in a shooting slump, making 32.1 percent from the field in five games since amassing a season-best 32 points in the Stars' 88-81 win over Seattle on Aug. 8.

Storm leading scorer Crystal Langhorne had 47 points on 20-of-22 shooting in the two losses to San Antonio before being held to four in the most recent meeting.