Silver Stars smother Sun in 72-59 win

The San Antonio Silver Stars were able to prevent their third losing streak of the season, defeating the Connecticut Sun 73-59 on August 11. The Silver Stars were in danger of sliding down to the bottom half of the WNBA's Western Conference, but are now back at the second spot in the west.

The Silver Stars came out strong against the Sun, building up a thirteen point lead by the end of the first quarter. By halftime, the Silver Stars had stretched their lead to 16 points against the Sun, who have one of the best home records in the WNBA. The Silver Stars continued their domination of the Sun in the second half, earning themselves the blowout win.

"We've been on the road so much and this last swing, we've played good teams," Silver Stars head coach Dan Hughes told reporters after the game. "Our goal is to be a winning road team and we're 7-5. We've got a shot. Getting out to a good start was so important for us. I thought it set a tone. Defensively, it was one of those games. Connecticut had a tough shooting night."

Guard Beck Hammon led the Silver Stars against the Sun, shooting 64 percent from the field. Hammon finished with a game-high 18 points, while dishing out five assists. Sophia Young also had a big game for the Silver Stars, finishing with 15 points and 8 rebounds.

Another big part of the Silver Stars success against the Sun was the productivity of their bench. Jia Perkins and Danielle Robinson both had solid showings for San Antonio, finishing the game with 12 points apiece.

After playing four of their last five games on the road, the Silver Stars will play their next two at home. San Antonio's next encounter will be against the struggling Chicago Fire on August 14. With the way the WNBA's Western Conference standings look right now, the Silver Stars cannot afford to lose any easy games.

David has supported the San Antonio Silver Stars for the past three years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter.

Sources:
Associated Press, "Becky Hammon, Sophia Young lead Silver Stars past Sun"
Player and game information from ESPN.com