Alana Beard has the Mystics flying high. Mitchell Layton/NBAE/Getty

In her third WNBA season, Alana Beard know what she is playing for. An All-Star in her second season with 14.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg in her second season, the Mystics missed the playoffs and Beard was frustrated. She went overseas to Australia and Korea and showcased her talent on the international stage. She also got better. The Mystics were re-built around Beard. Center Chasity Melvin was brought in the same year as Beard, Olympic gold medalist DeLisha Milton-Jones was acquired prior to last season and Crystal Robinson, Nikki Teasley and LaTasha Byears are in their first season in the nation's capital.

With an improved team around her, the Mystics have opened their season with a 2-1 record, one game behind the Indiana Fever for second place in the Eastern Conference. Beard currently ranks fourth in the league in scoring with 20.3 point per game after 25 points in the opener against the New York Liberty and another 25-point performance on Saturday at home against the Lynx.

If there was any knock on her game in her first two seasons, it was her outside shooting. So she worked on that as well and now ranks first in the WNBA in 3-point field goal percentage (0.857). She is second overall in field goal percentage (0.703) and field goals made (26). She also ranks #2 in the WNBA in points per 40 minutes (33.0) and #4 in the WNBA in Total Efficiency (21.0).

The Duke graduate is also one of the league's best perimeter defense, with quick feet and long arms. She ranks in the top ten in steals per game (2.0) and blocks per game (1.7). With eight Americans already named to the World Championship roster by USA Basketball, Beard will garner serious consideration for one of the four remaining roster spots if she continues to play at this level.

Week One
Date	Opp	Result	Min	FG	3P	FT	OFF	DEF	TOT	AST	ST	BL	TO	PF	PTS
May 27	vs Lynx	90-75 W	29	10-16	3-4	2-3	0	2	2	3	2	2	1	4	25
May 25	at Sting	63-73 L	21	5-9	0-0	1-1	0	1	1	2	0	2	5	6	11
May 23	vs Liberty	95-60 W	24	11-12	3-3	0-2	0	2	2	2	4	1	1	1	25