The San Antonio Stars are having their worst month of the season, but despite everything still have a good chance a securing a playoff berth in the tight Western Conference.
However, Odyssey Sims and the Tulsa Shock made the Stars’ goal of getting into the postseason more difficult on Friday night.
Becky Hammon had 16 points, but was not enough as the Stars fell to the Shock 79-62 in front of 6,990 fans inside the BOK Center for San Antonio’s fourth straight loss.
”Give Tulsa credit, I thought they did a great job we didn’t get our legs into it off the back to back,” San Antonio head coach Dan Hughes said. ”For the first half we did what we wanted but Tulsa is really athletic with the ball with Diggins and Sims.”
Sophia Young-Malcolm added 12 points and Kayla McBride added 10 for the Stars, who remain one game ahead of Tulsa for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Sims led the Shock with a game-high 22 points. Glory Johnson and Skylar Diggins each added 14 for Tulsa (12-19), who are trying to clinch their first playoff appearance since moving to Oklahoma from Detroit.
”We’re pushing for the playoffs but we’re taking it one game at a time,” said Johnson. ”It’s been a tough push but it is three steps now (with road games at Seattle, Atlanta and Minnesota). We have to forget about what’s happened in the past.”
San Antonio’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth remains at two with three games left to play. The Stars also fell a full game behind the Los Angeles Sparks (13-17) for third place in the West with the loss.
The silver and black are winless in the month of August (0-4), with their last win coming against the Chicago Sky on July 29.
The Stars are now 13-18 on the season and will return home to welcome Candace Parker and the Sparks to the AT&T Center on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
(Quotes via WNBA.com)
