Alana Beard is a former professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks. Beard is the first woman to win the John R. Wooden, State Farm Wade Trophy and Naismith Player of the Year Awards. She was Duke’s first National Player of the Year and is a three-time ACC Player of the Year.

Beard is also the first woman at Duke University to have her number raised to the rafters. She was selected in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Mystics. Beard was named a starter in the WNBA All-Star game, started in 30 games, ranked tenth in the league in scoring (15.9), recorded a career high, ranked fifth in the league in total steals (72), ranked third in the league in steals per game (2.32), and ranked eight in the league in total field goals made (188)—and that was just the 2009 season.

Beard played for the Los Angeles Sparks from 2012 to 2020 when she announced her retirement from the WNBA.

In 2004, Beard started the Alana Beard Foundation a nonprofit organization that sponsors female AAU basketball teams, aiding young women with the necessary resources to achieve success on or off court.

Beard currently works as a Senior Associate for SVB Capital and as a Women's Basketball Analyst for ESPN.

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