1997 Utah Starzz season

The 1997 WNBA season was the inaugural season for the Utah Starzz. The Starzz were partially named after the old ABA team, the Utah Stars, but with the zz at the end like the Utah Jazz. The franchise held the distinction of having the worst record in the WNBA in 1997.

Regular season

 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 1
 * June 21
 * Sacramento
 * L 60–70
 * Tammi Reiss (14)
 * Baranova Palmer Reiss (7)
 * Lady Grooms (6)
 * Delta Center
 * 0–1
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 2
 * June 23
 * Los Angeles
 * W 102–89
 * Wendy Palmer (28)
 * Elena Baranova (10)
 * Baranova Reiss (5)
 * Delta Center
 * 1–1
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 3
 * June 26
 * @ Cleveland
 * L 63–74
 * Wendy Palmer (15)
 * Wendy Palmer (12)
 * Baranova Palmer Williams (4)
 * Gund Arena
 * 1–2
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 4
 * June 28
 * Houston
 * L 58–76
 * Wendy Palmer (14)
 * Baranova Carter (6)
 * Booker Palmer (4)
 * Delta Center
 * 1–3


 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 5
 * July 2
 * @ Sacramento
 * L 73–68 (OT)
 * Wendy Palmer (18)
 * Wendy Palmer (11)
 * Kim Williams (5)
 * ARCO Arena
 * 2–3
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 6
 * July 3
 * Phoenix
 * L 55–77
 * Wendy Palmer (19)
 * Elena Baranova (12)
 * Hicks Williams (2)
 * Delta Center
 * 2–4
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 7
 * July 5
 * New York
 * L 53–66
 * Lady Grooms (14)
 * Wendy Palmer (10)
 * Kim Williams (4)
 * Delta Center
 * 2–5
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 8
 * July 7
 * Sacramento
 * L 69–79
 * Wendy Palmer (20)
 * Wendy Palmer (6)
 * Lady Grooms (5)
 * Delta Center
 * 2–6
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 9
 * July 11
 * @ Los Angeles
 * L 68–75
 * Wendy Palmer (17)
 * Elena Baranova (8)
 * Baranova Williams
 * Great Western Forum
 * 2–7
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 10
 * July 12
 * Phoenix
 * W 52–51
 * Wendy Palmer (15)
 * Wendy Palmer (10)
 * Lady Grooms (6)
 * Delta Center
 * 3–7
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 11
 * July 14
 * @ Houston
 * L 56–79
 * Lady Grooms (14)
 * Elena Baranova (13)
 * Kim Williams (10)
 * The Summit
 * 3–8
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 12
 * July 16
 * @ Charlotte
 * L 63–75
 * Palmer Williams (17)
 * Tammi Reiss (7)
 * Reiss Williams (5)
 * Charlotte Coliseum
 * 3–9
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 13
 * July 17
 * @ New York
 * L 54–80
 * Grooms Palmer (14)
 * Lady Grooms (6)
 * Kim Williams (4)
 * Madison Square Garden
 * 3–10
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 14
 * July 21
 * @ Cleveland
 * L 68–95
 * Elena Baranova (25)
 * Elena Baranova (7)
 * Baranova Williams (4)
 * Gund Arena
 * 3–11
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 15
 * July 22
 * @ New York
 * W 78–71
 * Elena Baranova (23)
 * Wendy Palmer (10)
 * Reiss Williams (4)
 * Madison Square Garden
 * 4–11
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 16
 * July 26
 * Cleveland
 * L 66–77
 * Elena Baranova (26)
 * Elena Baranova (9)
 * Tammi Reiss (5)
 * Delta Center
 * 4–12
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 17
 * July 30
 * @ Los Angeles
 * L 69–91
 * Tammi Reiss (15)
 * Wendy Palmer (8)
 * Dena Head (7)
 * Great Western Forum
 * 4–13


 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 18
 * August 2
 * Houston
 * W 74–63
 * Elena Baranova (17)
 * Elena Baranova (12)
 * Grooms Head Koss (3)
 * Delta Center
 * 5–13
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 19
 * August 4
 * Charlotte
 * W 73–70
 * Baranova Reiss (17)
 * Wendy Palmer (9)
 * Tammi Reiss (8)
 * Delta Center
 * 6–13
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 20
 * August 6
 * @ Phoenix
 * L 46–78
 * Elena Baranova (16)
 * Baranova Palmer (5)
 * Tammi Reiss (5)
 * America West Arena
 * 6–14
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 21
 * August 8
 * @ Sacramento
 * L 78–93
 * Wendy Palmer (25)
 * Wendy Palmer (9)
 * Grooms Reiss (4)
 * ARCO Arena
 * 6–15
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 22
 * August 11
 * Cleveland
 * L 59–74
 * Tammi Reiss (12)
 * Wendy Palmer (11)
 * Lady Grooms (5)
 * Delta Center
 * 6–16
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 23
 * August 12
 * @ Houston
 * L 56–76
 * Wendy Palmer (18)
 * Wendy Palmer (11)
 * Lady Grooms (4)
 * The Summit
 * 6–17
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 24
 * August 16
 * Los Angeles
 * L 64–74
 * Wendy Palmer (27)
 * Wendy Palmer (13)
 * Tammi Reiss (4)
 * Delta Center
 * 6–18
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 25
 * August 17
 * @ Phoenix
 * L 63–71 (OT)
 * Wendy Palmer (21)
 * Greta Koss (11)
 * Tammi Reiss (4)
 * America West Arena
 * 6–19
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 26
 * August 19
 * New York
 * W 81–75
 * Wendy Palmer (19)
 * Wendy Palmer (9)
 * Dena Head (4)
 * Delta Center
 * 7–19
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 27
 * August 21
 * Charlotte
 * L 56–66
 * Wendy Palmer (20)
 * Wendy Palmer (14)
 * Baranova Head Palmer Reiss (3)
 * Delta Center
 * 7–20
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 28
 * August 24
 * @ Charlotte
 * L 52–70
 * Jessie Hicks (13)
 * Elena Baranova (10)
 * Elena Baranova (4)
 * Charlotte Coliseum
 * 7–21

Regular Season
‡Waived/Released during the season

†Traded during the season

≠Acquired during the season


 * Elena Baranova ranked third in the WNBA in total rebounds with 207
 * Dena Head ranked fifth in the WNBA in Free Throw Pct with .844
 * Wendy Palmer ranked second in the WNBA in total rebounds with 225.
 * Wendy Palmer ranked sixth in the WNBA in field goals with 157.
 * Wendy Palmer ranked fourth in the WNBA in points with 443 points.
 * Wendy Palmer ranked ninth in the WNBA in minutes per game with 33.4
 * Wendy Palmer ranked fourth in the WNBA in points per game with 15.8
 * Tammi Reiss ranked tenth in the WNBA in assists with 87.

Awards and honors

 * Elena Baranova: Led WNBA, Blocks, 63
 * Elena Baranova: Led WNBA, Blocks per game, 2.2
 * Elena Baranova, Ranked second in the WNBA (tied), Defensive Rebounds, 151
 * Wanda Guyton: Ranked second in WNBA (tied), Offensive Rebounds, 76
 * Wendy Palmer: Led WNBA, Field Goal Attempts, 420
 * Wendy Palmer: Ranked second in the WNBA, Free Throws, 117