GAME: Houston Comets (4-5) at San Antonio Silver Stars (2-8).

TIME: Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT.

With his team mired in a four-game losing streak, Houston Comets coach Van Chancellor knows how important Saturday's matchup with the last-place San Antonio Silver Stars is.

Last season, Houston lost a franchise-record five straight from June 30-July 14, and that played a part in it missing the playoffs for the first time in team history.

"It's as important a game as we've played in a long time," Chancellor said.

The current four-game skid comes after the Comets won four of their first five games with their only loss coming on the road to defending champion Seattle.

Houston is coming off an 83-64 defeat at Los Angeles on Wednesday in which the Sparks shot a team-record 65.5 percent (36-for-55) from the field.

Michelle Snow and rookie Sancho Lyttle each scored 13 points for the Comets, who trailed 46-28 at halftime. Leading scorer Sheryl Swoopes was limited to eight points - nearly 10 below her season average - on 3-of-11 shooting.

Chancellor is more concerned with his team's mental state than having only one practice to prepare for Saturday.

"The turnaround time is not bad for us physically, but we've got to have a mental turnaround before that game," he said. "We've got to think positively."

One of the few bright spots lately for Houston has been Lyttle, the fifth overall pick in this year's draft. She has led the team in rebounds the past two games and had her best performance of the season Wednesday.

"She's been a relentless rebounder," Chancellor said. "She's played really well."

San Antonio should be happy to be home after falling to 0-5 on the road with a 76-62 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday.

Rookie Katie Feenstra scored 15 points and Marie Ferdinand and Wendy Palmer-Daniel each added 14 for the Silver Stars, owners of the worst record in the West.

Most disturbing was the manner in which San Antonio matched Charlotte with a league-high eighth loss.

Back-to-back baskets by Feenstra and Ferdinand gave the Silver Stars a 52-48 lead with 10 minutes remaining, but Phoenix hit 10 free throws in a row before scoring on 12 of their final 15 possessions.

"We're just trying to get over this losing streak," San Antonio guard Shannon Johnson said. "I thought we played great the first half, but in the second half we weren't able to weather their storm. They made a run at us and we never answered."

San Antonio, allowing a league-worst 73.1 points per game, is 11-33 since the start of the 2004 season.

STANDINGS (through June 16): Comets - 5th place, 3 GB, Western Conference. Silver Stars - 7th place, 5 1/2 GB, Western Conference.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Comets - F Swoopes, F Kristen Rasmussen, C Snow, G Dominique Canty, G Janeth Arcain. Silver Stars - F Palmer-Daniel, F Edna Campbell, C Chantelle Anderson, G Johnson, G Ferdinand.

TEAM LEADERS: Comets - Swoopes, 17.9 ppg and 3.7 apg; Snow, 6.7 rpg. Silver Stars - Ferdinand, 14.6 ppg; Palmer-Daniel, 5.5 rpg; Johnson, 5.3 apg.

SEASON SERIES: Comets, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: May 21; Comets, 78-70. At San Antonio, Swoopes scored 26 points and Houston shot 55 percent (31-for-56) from the field in the season opener for both teams.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Comets - 1-3 on the road; Silver Stars - 2-3 at home.