Alana Beard has retired from the WNBA. Beard was drafted 2nd overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2004 WNBA draft. As a rookie, Beard averaged 13.1 points and two steals per game.
Beard played six seasons with the Mystics and averaged a career-high 19.2 points per game in 2006 with the Mystics. While with the Mystics, she made four all-star game appearances. Beard was a fantastic player with her time with the Mystics, she was known for her lock-down defense, and she could also score the ball. After Beard’s last season with the Mystics, she had some bad luck with injuries.
Beard missed both the 2010 and 2011 seasons due to injuries. In 2010 she missed because of surgery to repair an ankle tendon and in 2011 with a Foot Injury.
Sparks
In 2012, Beard came back from injuries and signed with the Los Angeles Sparks; she was a big part of the Sparks team. Beard joined Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike in the Sparks starting line up. The Sparks made the playoffs with a 24-10 record and Beard averaged 11.4 points per game, and she shot a career-high 40% from three-point land. Sparks made it to the second round but were swept by the Minnesota Lynx.
With the Sparks, Beard did not have to do much scoring; she was basically on the team for her defense and leadership. The Sparks had other capable scores, so Beard was able to focus on the defensive end where she excelled in. The “Lady Glove” battled with injuries as well with the Sparks she missed two months in the 2015 season due to Plantar Fasciitis.
In 2016, Beard helped lead the Sparks to the WNBA Championship, she only averaged 7.1 points per game, but her leadership and defense were a crucial part of the Spark’s success. In-Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Beard hit the game-winning shot to give the Sparks the 1-0 series lead, and they went on to beat the Minnesota Lynx in five games.
In Beard’s final season with the Sparks, she was bothered with a hamstring injury and only played half the season. She averaged a career-low 3.3 points per game.
Alana Beard had a fantastic career; she averaged 11.3 points and 1.7 steals per game in her 15-year career. She shot 43% from the field and 33% from three-point land. Beard was a beast on defense, that is why i named her “The Lady Glove.” Beard nine All-WNBA Defensive teams and Defensive Player of the Year two times. She was also WNBA Champion and two-time All-Star. Hopefully, someday Beard will be in the Basketball Hall of Fame; she very deserving of it.
