The San Antonio Stars and Phoenix Mercury are stuck at the bottom of the WNBA's Western Conference. One could use the other as a potential springboard to get their season on track Thursday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.
The game can be seen on FOX Sports Arizona and FOX Sports GO, starting at 7 p.m.
Coming off a 74-61 loss on Saturday night at home to unbeaten Los Angeles, San Antonio (1-5) seeks its first road win. The Stars have dropped both of their road games, unable to consistently score, and will have to find an offensive rhythm against a team that can score in droves.
Although the Mercury are just 2-6 after losing 89-81 at defending WNBA champion Minnesota on Tuesday night, they average 85.1 points per game and are the only team in the league with four players averaging at least 12 ppg.
Guard Diana Taurasi leads Phoenix at 19 points per game, although she's struggling to make shots, hitting only 39.7 percent from the field. Center Brittney Griner averages 13.8, guard Penny Taylor 13.1 and forward DeWanna Bonner 12.8.
Emblematic of Taurasi's troubles in the loss at Minnesota, she converted only 4 of 11 shots from the field and finished with 12 points. Defense also hampered the Mercury, who allowed a whopping 57 second-half points to wipe out a strong first half that resulted in a 38-32 halftime lead.
Phoenix does have history in its favor against San Antonio, which it has beaten in eight of its last 10 meetings, including an 85-52 drubbing in the last matchup in September. Going back to the days when the Stars were located in Utah, the Mercury own a 28-13 record at home against them.
San Antonio is connecting on just 37.7 percent of its shots from the field, including a pitiful 26 percent on 3-pointers, and is scoring only 68.2 points per game. The Stars have yet to touch 80 points in a game this year.
Guard Kayla McBride has been San Antonio's only consistent source of offense so far, averaging 18.2 points. Forward Dearica Hamby is the only other double-figure scorer at 10.2 points; she also leads the Stars in rebounding at 6.2 per game.
