Shreveport native and former Southwood, Duke and WNBA standout Alana Beard will join several additional inductees into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony next summer, the WBHOF announced Friday morning.
Beard, who has previously been inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the Duke Hall of Fame and the Washington Mystics Hall of Fame, will join three additional players, including former LSU great Sylvia Fowles in the June 14, 2025, ceremony in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“I’m 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 for simply doing what I love. Each hall of fame induction is a reminder of the incredible journey basketball has taken me on — from a little girl in Shreveport with big dreams 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 Unversity coach Mark Campbell, veteran contributor and coach Lucille Kyvallos and former WBCA executive director Danielle Donechew.
“We are honored to pay tribute to seven distinguished legends of this exceptional sport,” said WBHOF president Dana Hart in a release. “They exemplify the highest standards in women’s basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport along with shaping the games’ historical trajectory.”
Beard, who won four LHSAA state championships during her time at Shreveport’s Southwood High School, spent eight of her 14 WNBA seasons with the Mystics (2004-11).
Noted as one the WNBA’s best defenders, Beard earned four WNBA All-Defensive team honors (2005-2007, 2009) during her Mystics career. 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 with 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 a pair of WNBA titles and was the league’s MVP in 2017, while earning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honors four times.
Fowles dunked in 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 jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport’s Alana Beard to join WBHOF in summer induction ceremony
