Alana Beard, a Shreveport native and former Southwood, Duke and WNBA star, will join several other Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductees in a ceremony next summer, the WBHOF announced Friday morning.
Beard, who has previously been inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Duke Hall of Fame and Washington Mystics Hall of Fame, will join three additional players, including former LSU great Sylvia Fowles at the June 14, 2025 ceremony at Knoxville. , Tennessee.
“I am deeply grateful and incredibly honored to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame,” Beard told the USA TODAY Network. “It’s humbling to be celebrated simply for doing what I love. Each Hall of Fame induction is a reminder of the incredible journey basketball has taken me on – since a little girl from Shreveport with big dreams leading up to this moment, I hope this inspires the next generation to have the audacity to dream.
Connecticut’s Sue Bird and WNBA/Rutgers legend Cappie Pondexter will be in the class, along with longtime Union University coach Mark Campbell, veteran collaborator and coach Lucille Kyvallos and former principal WBCA Executive Danielle Donechew.
“We are honored to honor seven distinguished legends of this exceptional sport,” WBHOF President Dana Hart said in a statement. “They exemplify the highest standards of women’s basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport while shaping the games’ history and trajectory.”
Beard, who won four LHSAA state championships during her time at Southwood High School in Shreveport, spent eight of her 14 WNBA seasons with the Mystics (2004-11).
Considered one of the best defenders in the WNBA, Beard earned four WNBA All-Defensive team honors (2005-2007, 2009) during her career with the Mystics. She was a four-time WNBA All-Star and helped the team to three playoff appearances.
Beard had a memorable career in Washington, setting franchise records for points (3,128) and steals (364) in just six full seasons. She missed the 2010 and 2011 campaigns due to injuries. Beard is also second all-time in assists (563) and fourth all-time in 3-point field goals made (220). She finished her career with the Mystics averaging 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
Beard won a WNBA championship with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016.
An All-American at LSU, Fowles led the Tigers to four NCAA Final Four appearances and was named the 2008 SEC Player of the Year. As a professional, she won two WNBA titles and was league MVP in 2017, while also winning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year four times.
Fowles dove during an LSU game against Louisiana-Lafayette, becoming the sixth college player in history to do so.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article was originally published in the Shreveport Times: Shreveport’s Alana Beard to Join WBHOF at Summer Induction Ceremony
