Mystics' Beard Waiting for the Shots to Fall

The only time Washington Mystics star guard Alana Beard remembers having a slump like this was during her rookie season. Back then she was adjusting to the WNBA's faster pace and better players.

Now, she's a bona fide franchise player, but she has shot just 28 percent over the six games prior to today's 11:30 a.m. contest against New York at Verizon Center.

The Mystics (9-14) have gone 3-3 over that stretch, which included their two worst losses of the year, the firing of Tree Rollins and the promotion of Jessie Kenlaw to interim head coach.

"I'm taking unbalanced shots, I'm pressing a little too hard," said Beard, who has gone 20 for 72 overall and just 2 for 18 from three-point range in the six-game stretch. "The coaches tell me, 'AB, just calm down a little bit.' But I just want it so much."

The problem is not all that different from the one she faced in 2004, when she handcuffed herself with her own expectations of instantly dominating the WNBA.

This time her expectations include finding a way to shake all of the Mystics' inconsistencies.

As a team captain and Washington's go-to player since she was drafted, Beard believes she is personally responsible for getting the team on track.

But the pressure hasn't helped Beard's own game, instead making her more inconsistent. "Hold on loosely," Beard said someone once told her. "Sometimes I hold on so tightly that it slips right through."

Kenlaw agrees with that advice. Each time irritation began to creep across Beard's face in the Mystics' 89-57 win over Seattle on Sunday, Kenlaw called out from the bench telling her there was nothing to worry about, just keep running the floor. Those reminders are all Kenlaw wants to tell Beard, though. They haven't even talked specifically about the slump.

"I'm not even concerned about her slump," Kenlaw said. "I think for the past couple years she's had a lot of pressure on her. She's always been the one that people want to go to, look to. I just want her to relax. . . . We made some adjustments that I think will be beneficial to her game and it's just a matter of time."

While her scoring has suffered, Beard has remained an integral part of the offense -- one of the reasons Kenlaw said she isn't worried about her play. Beard has handed out 27 assists during her slump, including nine in the first half against Seattle, which tied her career high for a game.

That doesn't mean Beard's not frustrated, though, and she admits she still needs the coaching staff to remind her that she doesn't have to be everything to the Mystics every game.

"I just want it so bad that they continue to stay on me about relaxing more," she said. "I don't just put a little bit -- I put a lot of pressure on myself to come out every night and do well and will my team to victory. I just need to understand that [my teammates] are going to have my back."