Silver Stars-Shock Preview
By SAMANTHA PANITCH
STATS Writer

San Antonio (8-15) at Tulsa (4-20), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Tulsa Shock haven't won a game since they beat the San
Antonio Silver Stars two weeks ago to snap a 12-game losing
streak.

Owners of the WNBA's worst record, the Shock hope for a similar
result as they host the Silver Stars on Friday while looking to
avoid a sixth consecutive loss.

The Shock's lone victory in 18 games was a 75-70 win at San
Antonio on July 16. Ivory Latta had 15 points, all on
three-pointers, in her third game with Tulsa (4-20).

Tulsa, however, has dropped five straight since, including a
105-89 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday.

In order to help bolster their struggling lineup, the Shock
acquired Latta, Nichole Ohlde and Rashanda McCants this month.
While Latta and Ohlde are both averaging 11.0 points, the Shock
are 1-8 in July. McCants will make her debut with Tulsa in this
game.

Latta scored a season-high 23 points Tuesday and Shanna Crossley
added 15, but the Shock allowed at least 100 points for the
sixth time.

The 90.0 points per game Tulsa is giving up is second-worst in
the league.

"I guess it's the same old song, maybe a different tune at
times, but the first half was an ugly half," Tulsa coach Nolan
Richardson said. "And that's the thing that has worried me in
the second half of basketball, is our team not showing up. I
thought we played a lot better than we did in the first half,
and executed a lot better and made a few shots."

San Antonio's Chamique Holdsclaw scored 20 points and Sophia
Young had 11 and 12 rebounds in the loss to Tulsa earlier this
month. San Antonio (9-15) still owns a 2-1 edge in the season
series.

Recently, the Silver Stars hadn't played well late in their
games, but that changed with a 79-75 victory over Washington on
Thursday night.

In a fourth quarter that featured five lead changes and three
ties, Holdsclaw's layup with 1:35 to play broke a 69-all tie and
gave San Antonio the lead for good. Holdsclaw scored 17 points
and Becky Hammon added 16 and six steals for the Silver Stars,
who had lost six of seven on the road.

"We are a much better team than we were earlier in the year,"
said Silver Stars coach Sandy Brondello, whose team's last four
losses have been by an average of 4.8 points. "I said to the
girls at the start, 'I'm tired of losing close games'... we
found the right combinations tonight and came away with the hard
fought win."