WASHINGTON, D.C. – With Mystics legend Alana Beard set to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame, let’s recognize the journey that got her here after dominating the WNBA throughout her 15-year playing career, and the impactful legacy she left behind.

Life as a Lady Cowboy

Beard’s transformative years began in her hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. Having led Shreveport’s Southwood High School to four consecutive state championships, and a record of 144-6, Alana was named Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year in her senior season. Beard led the team to an undefeated record the same year and ended her precollegiate career with 2,646 points and 53 consecutive victories. Jenna Bolin, Beard’s former Southwood teammate, said Beard’s attitude and work ethic set her apart from your typical athlete. “Looking back now as a coach (girls’ basketball at Haughton), she is exactly the kind of person you would want your best player to be,” Bolin expressed. “So often these days the most talented are usually cocky or too cool or not coachable. Alana was none of those things. She did the same thing to college point guards that she did to high school point guards. She was our stopper.”

Collegiate History

Once former Duke coach Gail Goestenkors saw the 5’11 guard hoop for the first time in high school, she knew Beard’s talent was unmatched. “Some players work hard, some are talented, and some have a special drive,” states Goestenkors, who now works as a women's college basketball consultant. “But Alana was the trifecta. She has the drive to be the best in whatever she’s doing. She had the mind, the heart and the soul of a basketball player” quotes Jimmy Watson of the Shreveport Times. During her career at Duke, Beard won the National Player of the Year Award in 2004 and also became the first woman to win the John R. Wooden, State Farm Wade Trophy and Naismith Player of the Year Awards, along with the first player to record 2,600 points, 500 assists and 400 steals in NCAA History. While at Duke, she led her team to the 2002 and 2003 NCAA Final Fours.

Cementing Herself as a Pro

Drafted second overall in the 2004 WNBA Draft, Alana spent the first eight of her 15-year career in the league with the Washington Mystics (2004-2011). During her time in D.C., Beard earned four WNBA All-Defensive Team honors (2005-2007, 2009) and was a four-time WNBA All-Star (2005-2007, 2009). She piloted the team to three playoff appearances in 2004, 2006, and 2009. Despite enduring various injuries throughout her career, in just six full seasons with Washington, Beard set (and currently holds) the franchise records in points (3128) and steals (364) while holding the second position in all-time assists (563) and fourth spot in (220). After playing half of her career with the Mystics, Alana joined the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012. The four-time All-Star played a pivotal role in helping the Sparks capture their third WNBA title in 2016. Following her first WNBA championship, Beard won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017 and 2018.

Legacy Lives On

Duke retired Alana Beard’s No. 20 jersey in 2004, making her the first Blue Devil women’s basketball player to receive such an honor. Announcing her retirement in 2019, the star guard’s collegiate and professional career has arguably been one the greatest in women’s basketball history. “I was fortunate to do what many athletes don’t get a chance to do,” Beard states. “I was craving the transition to the business world and was ready for a new challenge. I walked away from the game, knowing that I gave it my all every time.”

2016 WNBA Champion

4x WNBA All-Star

2x WNBA Defensive Player of the Year

No. 20 Duke Jersey Retired

2x National Player of the Year

3x ACC POY

Duke All-Time Leading Scorer

“It’s an incredible honor to be inducted into the Mystics’ Hall of Fame and to join the legacy of remarkable women who came before me. My journey in the WNBA has been filled with unforgettable moments, challenges and triumphs — and I am deeply grateful to my family, Sheila Johnson and the Mystics organization, my teammates, coaches and most importantly, the fans who supported me every step along the way.” – Alana Beard