Betty Lennox drives past Marie Ferdinand-Harris of the Los Angeles Sparks on the way to 21 points and an 83-72 upset win in L.A. If the Dream win their last game against the Seattle Storm on Friday, they can avoid finishing with the fewest wins of any expansion team in league history. David Sherman/NBAE/Getty
San Antonio Claims Top Spot
Silver Stars Focus on Playoffs: Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said he thinks home-court advantage is important, but would rather see his team playing good basketball heading into the playoffs. He can now say he has both at this point of the season. With a 78-74 win over the Connecticut Sun on Thursday, the Silver Stars assured themselves of the best regular season record in the WNBA and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. San Antonio trailed by as many as five points in the fourth quarter before Sophia Young rattled off 10 straight points for the Silver Stars to help take the lead. The teams traded buckets before MVP-candidate Becky Hammon hit a 3-pointer with 1:17 left to put San Antonio ahead for good. Young led all scorers in the game with 24 points and Ann Wauters added a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Asjha Jones led the Sun with 18 points. The Sun will finish their season on Saturday when they take on the Washington Mystics at home.
ALSO MAKING HEADLINES ...
Detroit Eyes Third Championship: After losing in the WNBA Finals last season, Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer has been focusing his efforts on claiming the franchise’s third championship. With Connecticut losing in San Antonio, the Shock came one step closer on Thursday by clinching first place in the Eastern Conference with a 78-66 home win over the Washington Mystics. Detroit carried a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter and coasted to the finish. The Shock had lost four straight games before last month's Olympic break, but Detroit has now won five of six since acquiring Taj McWilliams-Franklin from the Mystics during the break. Deanna Nolan finished with a game-high 17 points, while Kara Braxton added 15 points and seven rebounds for Detroit. Alana Beard and Monique Currie led the Mystics with 16 points each. Detroit finishes the season in New York on Sunday, while Washington will play twice more this weekend.
McWilliams-Franklin
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"Home-court is something you play for. It is relevant. […] But we play a short series, so really more than anything you just want to head in playing good basketball. That is really important to us.''
-- Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes, after San Antonio finished a perfect 14-0 against the Eastern Conference and claimed home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with Thursday's 78-74 win over the Sun.
As the San Antonio Silver Stars prepare for the upcoming playoffs, center Ann Wauters appears to be refining her game. Wauters notched her first double-double since the Olympic break during Tuesday’s win over the Liberty. She followed that up on Thursday with a 17-point performance against the Connecticut Sun, also adding a career-high 15 rebounds on the night. The top-seeded Silver Stars end their regular season on Saturday at home against the Sacramento Monarchs.
ROOKIE WATCH
Candace Parker has held the inside track for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award since she nearly notched a triple-double in the first game of the season. The Los Angeles Sparks wrap up their regular season on Sunday, but Parker is still searching for her first triple-double. She came up just three assists shy on Thursday, racking up 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Parker also blocked four shots, but the Sparks lost at home to the expansion Atlanta Dream, 83-72.
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