Game Highlights:
AT&T Center – The San Antonio Stars relied on their defense in their last home game, a win over the Chicago Sky. However, nearly a week later – it would be their offense that would lead to another home loss.
Moriah Jefferson scored a career-high 18 points, but it was not enough as the Stars fell 74-61 to the Los Angeles Sparks in front of 5,403 fans at the AT&T Center on Saturday night.
Jefferson finished 7-of-12 from the floor and was 2-for-5 beyond the arc. Kayla McBride was the only other San Antonio player in double figures with 13 for the Stars, who have lost two straight.
“I just try to be aggressive when I come off. If I’m open, shoot it, if not just get the ball to my teammates,” Jefferson said after the game. “I think it will help getting Mac (Kayla McBride) more shots, but right now they’re just defending her so hard that it’s hard for her to get shots.”
San Antonio struggled offensively to start the game, shooting just 16 percent in the first quarter. Los Angeles outscored the Stars 21-14 in the final quarter as the Silver and Black finished with a low 36 percent shooting night.
” I’m going to have to watch the tape,” Stars coach Dan Hughes said. “I’m going to have to study it because defensively we’re moving in the right direction, but offensively we’re putting a lot of pressure on it because we’re not scoring. We didn’t score on the interior regularly, and that’s been an area that statistically has been fairly good for us.”
The Sparks were led by Candace Parker’s 15 points. Kristi Toliver and Essence Carson each added 13 for Los Angeles (7-0), who remain undefeated on the young season.
With the Stars trailing by six going into the fourth quarter, Los Angeles hit their first five shots to build an 18-point lead. Which would end all hopes of a Silver and Black comeback at home.
“As the game went on offensively, we got much better,” Los Angeles coach Brian Agler said. “We just got them spaced finally, and then we could operate. We had a lot of players play well, but I was really proud of how we defended them.”
Up next: The Stars are now 1-5 on the season and will return to the court on Thursday when they travel to face Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury at 9 p.m. inside Talking Stick Resort Arena.
