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 based in San Antonio, Texas.

The Stars started in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1997. Back then, they were called the Utah Starzz. In 2003, the team moved to San Antonio and became the San Antonio Silver Stars. Later, in 2014, they changed their name to 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 and moved again. They became the Las Vegas Aces for the 2018 season.

During their time in San Antonio, the Stars made it to the WNBA Playoffs seven times. Many great players played for the team. These included Becky Hammon, Sophia Young, Ann Wauters, and the very tall 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 Journey: From Utah to San Antonio

Early Days as the Utah Starzz (1997–2002)

The Utah Starzz were one of the first eight teams in the WNBA. Their name was partly inspired by an older basketball team, the Utah Stars.

In their first year, 1997, the Starzz had the worst record in the league. 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 struggled in 1998 and 1999. In 2000, they finally had a winning record, but they didn't make the playoffs. They reached the playoffs for the first time in 2001. However, the Sacramento Monarchs quickly defeated them.

In 2002, the Starzz made the playoffs again. They beat the Houston Comets in the Western Conference Semifinals. But their journey ended in the Western Finals. The Los Angeles Sparks swept them.

Moving to San Antonio

After the 2002 season, the NBA decided to let go of its WNBA teams. The Utah Jazz owners didn't want to keep the Starzz. The team tried to find new owners in Utah, but they couldn't. This meant the team might have to close down or be sold to someone from another city.

Luckily, the Starzz found a new owner. Peter Holt, who owned the San Antonio Spurs, bought the team. The team then moved to San Antonio, Texas. They changed their name to the San Antonio Silver Stars. Their team colors also changed to silver and black, just like the Spurs.

Tough Times for the Stars (2003–2006)

After moving to San Antonio, the Silver Stars made big changes to their team. They traded away star player Natalie Williams.

For their first four seasons in San Antonio (2003–2006), the team continued to struggle. They didn't make the playoffs. This was very different from the successful San Antonio Spurs NBA team. From 2003 to 2006, the Silver Stars had a record of 41 wins and 88 losses.

Getting Stronger (2007–2008)

The 2007 season brought many exciting changes for the Silver Stars. They added talented players like Becky Hammon, Ruth Riley, and Sandora Irvin. They also drafted Camille Little and signed Erin Buescher.

These new players joined key returning players like Marie Ferdinand-Harris and Sophia Young. The team quickly became a strong 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 won their first playoff series against the Sacramento Monarchs. In the Western Finals, they faced the strong Phoenix Mercury. The Silver Stars lost a close Game 1 due to a controversial foul call. They then lost Game 2, ending their season.

In 2008, the Silver Stars were expected to be a top team, and they delivered! They had the best record in the Western Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, they again played the Sacramento Monarchs. The Stars won a tough Game 3 in overtime to advance.

In the Western Finals, they faced the Los Angeles Sparks. The Silver Stars won Game 2 with a last-second shot by Sophia Young. In Game 3, Becky Hammon scored 35 points, leading the Silver Stars to their first-ever WNBA Finals.

In the Finals, they played the Detroit Shock. The Shock were a very experienced team. The Silver Stars fought hard but lost the series 0-3.

Challenges Continue (2009–2010)

The 2009 season was a bit of a struggle for San Antonio. They finished with more losses than wins (15–19). Still, they managed to make the playoffs. They won Game 1 against the Phoenix Mercury, but then lost the next two games and the series.

The 2010 season was similar. The Stars had a 14–20 record. They still made the playoffs as the third seed in their conference. However, the Phoenix team swept them in the first round. It was clear that the team needed some changes.

New Beginnings and Final Seasons (2011–2017)

In 2011, San Antonio was chosen to host the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game. The Silver Stars started the 2011 season strong, with a 7–3 record. This was thanks to the return of head coach Dan Hughes and great play from Becky Hammon and Sophia Young.

Three new players, Danielle Robinson, Danielle Adams, and Porsha Phillips, also joined the team. Danielle Adams even won Rookie of the Month for June!

In the 2012 playoffs, the Silver Stars lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Sparks. They missed the playoffs in 2013. In the 2014 playoffs, the Stars lost to the Minnesota Lynx. After this season, Becky Hammon retired from the WNBA. She had played 16 seasons, with eight of them for the Stars.

In 2015, the Stars played at Freeman Coliseum because their usual home, the AT&T Center, was being renovated. 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. The plan was to move the team to Las Vegas. They would play at the Mandalay Bay Events Center starting in the 2018 season. The team then became the Las Vegas Aces.

Team Uniforms

• 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 added below their numbers.
• 2011–2013: The uniforms changed slightly with new technology. Numbers became more rounded.
• 2014–2017: The team added a sponsor, H-E-B, to the uniforms. The "Stars" logo writing was also updated.

Key Players and Coaches

Famous Former Players

Many talented players wore the Stars uniform:

• Danielle Adams (2011–2015)
• Jayne Appel (2010–2016)
• Margo Dydek (1998–2004) - a very tall center!
• Marie Ferdinand-Harris (2001–2007)
• Adrienne Goodson (1999–2004)
• Becky Hammon (2007–2014) - a star point guard, now a coach for the Las Vegas Aces.
• Shannon "Pee Wee" Johnson (2004–2006)
• Vickie Johnson (2006–2009) - 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)
• Sophia Young (2006–2015) - a strong power-forward.

Retired Numbers

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

Hall of Fame Players

One former Stars player has been honored in the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Head Coaches

The Stars had several head coaches during their time in San Antonio.

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

Images for kids

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  The AT&T Center, home of the Stars since 2003, except for the 2015 season due to summer renovations.