WNBA's San Antonio Stars Reportedly Have Deal to Relocate to Las Vegas

The San Antonio Stars announced Thursday they have been in negotiations with a buyer who will relocate the franchise.

According to ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright, the team has an agreement in place that will see the Stars move to Las Vegas. The deal still needs to be approved by the NBA and WNBA Board of Governors.

The Utah Starzz were one of eight teams part of the WNBA's inaugural 1997 season. The franchise moved to San Antonio in 2003 and changed its name to the Silver Stars before settling on the Stars.

Relocating the Stars to Las Vegas will help the WNBA build a bigger profile on the Western half of the United States. The league has three teams west of Texas: the Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury.

The Stars would be the second professional franchise in Sin City after the Vegas Golden Knights officially launched this season. The Oakland Raiders will be moving to Las Vegas as well in 2020.

The Stars have won 15 combined games the last two seasons, but they boast a strong young core of stars.

Kelsey Plum averaged 13.4 points and 5.4 assists per 36 minutes, according to Basketball Reference. Isabelle Harrison took a big jump in her second year, with her scoring average climbing from 3.1 points in 2016 to 11.4 points in 2017. She also averaged 6.4 rebounds. In addition, Moriah Jefferson will be fully healthy in 2018 after battling injuries that limited her to nine starts and 21 appearances throughout this past season.