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Alana Beard announces retirement from WNBA, plans venture into Silicon Valley business world

Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images

The landscape of the WNBA became a little less defensive as of now.

After a storied career in the W (and overseas) that spanned 16 years and two WNBA teams, Alana Beard, who will be remembered as one of the greatest defenders in history, announced she is hanging up her jersey.

Beard made the announcement on KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger in Shreveport, Louisiana ā€“ her hometown.


Iā€™m craving the transition.

–Alana Beard (Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)

The 37-year old Beard was asked by Fletcher as to if there was another WNBA season in her, where she replied ā€œprobably not.ā€

With basketball now officially in her rear-view mirror, she told Fletcher that she is ready to take her talents to another venue rich in talent ā€“ Silicon Valley. Beard said she is in the stages of becoming part of the venture capital team of Silicon Valley Bank, which is based in Santa Clara.


My goal is to just implement myself into that ecosystem and learn as much as possible, but eventually I would like to build out my own fund ā€¦ geared towards women and people of color.

–Alana Beard (Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)

Fletcher brought up an eye-opening statistic on his show when he mentioned that only two percent of all hedge fund managers in Silicon Valley are women. Beard furthered that by mentioning less than one percent are African American women.

Beard said she was confident that she was making the right connections to change those statistics and she says those that have been most open to helping her out were men.


The conversations or the meetings I would have with women versus the conversations and meetings I would have with men ā€“ I just felt more comfortable from a male aspect because I think we do have that basketball connection.

–Alana Beard (The Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)

Fletcher mentioned Beard receiving an invitation to a pick up basketball game in Silicon Valley and what took had her in awe was noticing the executives that were there and how they became success stories.


To understand how they built an empire is, like, super intriguing to me and I think thatā€™s kind of why Iā€™m a bit starstruck by it.

–Alana Beard (The Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)

Beard said she was confident that Silicon Valley would indeed give her the resources to be able to make those inroads and be a link between women and big tech. She said she is still asking around to understand how things operate and that she wants to establish her own investment operation.


A lot of people seeā€¦these male athletes. You know what they make. So they get these opportunities coming ā€¦ out of the blue.

–Alana Beard (The Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)


I want to be that branch to connect the women to Silicon Valley, because we have the money. We just donā€™t have it in the amount that men have, but we have itā€¦

–Alana Beard (The Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)

She talked about how a key point of the advice she has received is to stick with what one knows. Beard mentioned that she is looking at health and science, but that even that is a new point of outreach for since much of her career and life has been predicated on trying new things.

One of those new things she also tried was being an analyst for the ACC Network and that she said yes to it for the same reason she is saying yes to Silicon Valley ā€“ because it is new.


At first I said no, and then I was, like, yeah. Because it scares the crap out of me. Itā€™s not in my comfort zone. And Iā€™ve never been comfortable my entire life, so this was another step towards that.

–Alana Beard (The Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)

The lesson that both her new inroads into the tech world as well as her broadcasting venture both taught her was that it is entirely fine to never be fully prepared for something new. She admitted that she may have played one more season that she should have, but that plans change.


I felt like I wasnā€™t 100% in ā€“ in terms of the court, because I was craving itā€¦and I think I probably shouldā€™ve stopped a year ago. Thatā€™s how I think about it. Butā€¦things happen. And you keep going and you go back because of the relationships that you have and the people that you love.

–Alana Beard (The Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)

Fletcher then asked Beard why she did not decide to take a more conventional route retired players take ā€“ which is to become a coach. Beard said it is a job she could easily have and that the only place she would consider becoming a coach is at her alma mater Duke.


I loved it that much and I feel like I owe them a ton.

–Alana Beard (The Tim Fletcher Show, KWKH-AM 1130 The Tiger Shreveport)

Beard described the decision as the best sheā€™s made in her life to head to Duke to play her college ball. She mentioned how a motivation of hers was not only to help herself but her family as well.

She was drafted in 2004 by the Mystics. While at Duke, she became the first player to tally 2,600 points, 500 assists and 400 steals. She averaged 11.3 points and 3.4 rebounds for her career along with shooting just under 44% from the field. Beard is third all-time in steals with 710, is a four-time WNBA All-Star and won a championship n 2016 with the Sparks.


Not only does Alana leave the WNBA as a champion and one of the best defenders in the leagueā€™s history, she leaves as one of the greatest teammates and professionals the WNBA has ever seen. Alana will forever be a Spark and weā€™ll continue to support her and be a resource as she enters the next stage of her life and career.

–Eric Holoman, Los Angeles Sparks Managing Partner and Governor (per press release)



I am excited for my next chapter and ready to pursue my next career. I look forward to using my platform to create opportunities for the communities that supported me throughout my journey, women and people of color.

–Alana Beard (per release)

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