San Antonio Stars facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San Antonio Stars
Conference	Western
Leagues	WNBA
Founded	1997
History	Utah Starzz (1997–2002) San Antonio Silver Stars (2003–2013) San Antonio Stars (2014–2017) Las Vegas Aces (2018–present)
Arena	AT&T Center
Location	San Antonio, Texas
Team colors	Silver, black
Ownership	Spurs Sports & Entertainment
Championships	0
Conference titles	1 (2008)
Retired numbers	1 (25)
Uniforms
Home Away

The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was part of the Western Conference.

The team started in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1997. Back then, they were called the Utah Starzz. In 2003, the team moved to San Antonio. They changed their name to the San Antonio Silver Stars. Later, in 2014, they became simply the San Antonio Stars.

The team was owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment. This company also owns the San Antonio Spurs NBA team. In 2017, the Stars were sold to a new owner. They moved to Paradise, Nevada and became the Las Vegas Aces.

During their time in San Antonio, the Stars made it to the WNBA Playoffs seven times. Many great players were part of the team. These included Becky Hammon, Sophia Young, Ann Wauters, and Margo Dydek. In 2008, the Silver Stars reached the WNBA Finals. However, they lost to the Detroit Shock. The Stars played their home games at the AT&T Center, which is now called the Frost Bank Center.

Team History

The Utah Starzz Years (1997–2002)

The Utah Starzz were one of the first eight WNBA teams. They were named partly after an old basketball team, the Utah Stars. The Starzz did not have as much success as the Utah Jazz NBA team.

In 1997, they had the worst record in the WNBA. This meant they got the first pick in the 1998 WNBA draft. They chose Margo Dydek, who was 7 feet 2 inches tall. She became the tallest player in WNBA history. Even with Dydek, the Starzz finished near the bottom in 1998 and 1999.

In 2000, the Starzz finally had a winning record. But they still missed the playoffs. They made the playoffs for the first time in 2001. However, they lost quickly to the Sacramento Monarchs. In 2002, they reached the playoffs again. They beat the Houston Comets but then lost to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Moving to San Antonio

After the 2002 season, the NBA decided to sell its WNBA teams. The Utah Jazz owners did not want to keep the Starzz. The team looked for new owners in Utah, but found none. This meant the team might have to close down.

Luckily, the Starzz were saved. Peter Holt, who owned the San Antonio Spurs, bought the team. The team moved to San Antonio, Texas. They changed their name to the San Antonio Silver Stars. Their team colors became silver and black, just like the Spurs.

Early Years in San Antonio (2003–2006)

After moving, the Silver Stars made big changes to their team. They traded away star players like Natalie Williams and Margo Dydek. For their first four seasons in San Antonio, from 2003 to 2006, the team struggled. They did not make the playoffs. This was very different from the successful San Antonio Spurs.

Becoming a Stronger Team (2007–2008)

The 2007 season brought many new players to the Silver Stars. They got stars like Becky Hammon, Ruth Riley, and Sandora Irvin. They also drafted Camille Little and signed Erin Buescher. These new players joined key players like Marie Ferdinand-Harris and Sophia Young. The team quickly became a top contender in the Western Conference.

On August 4, 2007, the Silver Stars made the playoffs for the first time since moving to San Antonio. They beat the Sacramento Monarchs in the first round. Then, they faced the strong Phoenix Mercury. The Silver Stars lost a close Game 1 and then Game 2. Their season ended in the Western Finals.

In 2008, the Silver Stars were expected to be a top team. They had the best record in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they again faced the Sacramento Monarchs. The Stars won a tough series, going to overtime in the final game. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

Next, they played the Los Angeles Sparks. The Stars won a very close Game 2 with a last-second shot by Sophia Young. In Game 3, Becky Hammon scored 35 points. This helped the Silver Stars win and reach their first-ever WNBA Finals. In the Finals, they played the Detroit Shock. The Shock won the series, and the Silver Stars finished as runners-up.

Later Seasons (2009–2017)

In 2009, the San Antonio team struggled but still made the playoffs. They lost to the Phoenix Mercury. The 2010 season was similar, with the team finishing with a losing record. They made the playoffs but were swept by Phoenix. It was clear the team needed changes.

In 2011, the Silver Stars hosted the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game. The team started the season well with new coach Dan Hughes. They also had good play from rookies like Danielle Robinson and Danielle Adams.

The Silver Stars made the playoffs in 2012 but lost to the Los Angeles Sparks. They missed the playoffs in 2013. In 2014, they made the playoffs again but lost to the Minnesota Lynx. After this season, Becky Hammon retired from playing.

Due to stadium updates, the Stars played at Freeman Coliseum in 2015. They moved back to the AT&T Center for the 2016 season.

Moving to Las Vegas

On October 17, 2017, the NBA and WNBA approved the sale of the Stars. The team was bought by MGM Resorts International. They moved the team to Las Vegas. The team became the Las Vegas Aces and started playing there in 2018.

Team Uniforms

The team's uniforms changed over the years:

• 2003–2006: Home uniforms were silver with black writing. Away uniforms were black with white writing.
• 2007–2010: Home uniforms were silver with black stars on the sides. Away uniforms were black with silver stars. Player names were below their numbers.
• 2011–2013: Small changes were made, like rounded numbers.
• 2014–2017: A sponsor, H-E-B, was added. The "Stars" writing on the uniform was updated.

Key Players

Famous Players

Many talented players played for the San Antonio Stars and Silver Stars.

• Danielle Adams (2011–2015)
• Jayne Appel (2010–2016)
• Jennifer Azzi (2000–2003)
• Margo Dydek (1998–2004)
• Marie Ferdinand-Harris (2001–2007)
• Adrienne Goodson (1999–2004)
• Becky Hammon (2007–2014) - She later became a coach for the Las Vegas Aces.
• Shannon "Pee Wee" Johnson (2004–2006)
• Vickie Johnson (2006–2009) - She is now a coach for the Dallas Wings.
• Kayla McBride (2014-2018)
• Jia Perkins (2011–2015)
• Kelsey Plum (2017-2018)
• Danielle Robinson (2011–2016)
• Ruth Riley (2007–2011)
• Ann Wauters (2008–2009)
• Sophia Young (2006–2015)

The AT&T Center, where the Stars played most of their home games.

Retired Jersey Numbers

The San Antonio Stars retired one jersey number to honor a special player.

FIBA Hall of Fame Players

One player who played for the Stars is in the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Coaches and Management

Team Owners

• Peter Holt (2003–2017): He also owned the San Antonio Spurs.

Head Coaches

Several people coached the San Antonio Stars:

• Candi Harvey (2001–2003)
• Shell Dailey (2003–2004)
• Dee Brown (2003–2004)
• Dan Hughes (2005–2010, 2011–2016) - He coached the team for many years.
• Sandy Brondello (2010)
• Vickie Johnson (2016–2017)

General Managers

• Jay Francis (1997–2004)
• Dan Hughes (2005–2015)
• Ruth Riley (2016–2017)

Team Statistics

Here are some statistics for the San Antonio Stars, showing how the team and individual players performed.

Media Coverage

Some Stars games were shown on Fox Sports Southwest (FS-SW). This is a local TV station in Texas. The broadcasters for the games were Andrew Monaco and Bob Weiss.