San Antonio Stars

San Antonio Stars. The franchise was a professional women's basketball team in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) that played from 2003 through 2017, after relocating from Salt Lake City where it began as the Utah Starzz. Owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment, the team shared the AT&T Center with the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Stars qualified for the WNBA playoffs eight times during their tenure in Texas, reaching the WNBA Finals in 2008 but falling to the Detroit Shock.

History

The franchise originated in 1997 as one of the WNBA's eight original teams, based in Utah and known as the Utah Starzz. Following the 2002 season, the team was purchased by Spurs Sports & Entertainment and moved to San Antonio, rebranding as the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2003. Under the leadership of head coach and general manager Dan Hughes, the team built a competitive roster, acquiring stars like Becky Hammon via a trade with the New York Liberty in 2007. This era culminated in the 2008 season, where the team, led by Hammon and center Ann Wauters, advanced to the WNBA Finals before being swept by the Detroit Shock. The franchise shortened its name to San Antonio Stars in 2014. After several struggling seasons, the team was sold to MGM Resorts International in 2017 and relocated to become the Las Vegas Aces, with the approval of the WNBA Board of Governors.

Seasons and records

The team's most successful season was 2008, when it finished with a 24–10 record, won the Western Conference regular-season title, and secured the top seed in the WNBA playoffs. Their playoff run included a victory over the Seattle Storm in the conference finals before the loss in the WNBA Finals. The franchise made postseason appearances in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Conversely, the later years in San Antonio were marked by difficulty; the team recorded the worst record in the league in both 2016 (7–27) and 2017 (8–26), which resulted in securing the first overall pick in the WNBA draft prior to the relocation. Key individual season records were set by players like Becky Hammon in assists and Sophia Young-Malcolm in points and rebounds.

Home arenas

During its entire tenure in Texas, the franchise played its home games at the AT&T Center (originally the SBC Center), a multi-purpose arena also home to the San Antonio Spurs. The facility, located on the city's east side, underwent several naming rights changes under corporations like SBC Communications and AT&T. Prior to the move to San Antonio, the team played as the Utah Starzz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The shared arena model with the NBA's Spurs was a hallmark of the team's operations under the Spurs Sports & Entertainment ownership group.

Players and personnel

Notable players in franchise history include point guard Becky Hammon, a six-time WNBA All-Star with the team whose jersey number 25 was retired, and forward Sophia Young-Malcolm, the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Other key figures were center Ann Wauters, forward Danielle Adams, and guard Jia Perkins. The team was coached for the majority of its existence by Dan Hughes, who also served as general manager. Later personnel included head coach Vickie Johnson, general manager Ruth Riley, and assistant coach Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil. The Stars drafted future standouts like Kayla McBride and Kelsey Plum, the latter being the first overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft.

Culture and community impact

As part of the Spurs Sports & Entertainment family, the team was integrated into the strong sports culture of San Antonio, often holding doubleheaders with the San Antonio Spurs. The franchise was active in community outreach through the Silver Stars Foundation and later Stars community initiatives, focusing on youth basketball, health, and education programs across South Texas. The presence of stars like Becky Hammon, who later became an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs and made history in the NBA, provided a significant inspirational figure for women's sports in the region. The team's games were broadcast locally on KMYS and Fox Sports Southwest.

Category:WNBA teams Category:Sports in San Antonio Category:Defunct basketball teams in the United States