Exclusive, personal Q&A with the Mystics star.

By Alana Beard / @Alanabeard20 and Ben York / @bjyork

In a sense, Alana Beard is in the midst of reinventing herself. It’s fair to say the 2010 WNBA season, in many ways, was the most difficult year of her basketball career. Sidelined with an injury that kept her off the court the entire season, Alana looked inward for strength and motivation to continue on. Writing for SLAMonline, in Alana’s words, has been “therapeutic” and given her a chance to connect on a more personal basis with fans. Below, is a transcript of a recent chat we had via instant messaging that Alana wanted to share – and it’s a side of the all-star that few have seen. – Ben York

SLAM: Okay, Alana – let’s do something different. What do you say we talk about anything and everything besides basketball for a few?

Alana Beard: Let’s do it!

SLAM: I’m warning you…my questions will be extremely random. And probably corny.

AB: LOL. It’s cool, B.

SLAM: Let’s start with the question everyone wants to know – apple juice or orange juice?

AB: OJ baaaaby, fresh squeezed from Wegmans

SLAM: Nice, same here. Speaking of orange juice, do you have any regrets in life?

AB: LOL. I honestly don’t have any. Everything I’ve gone through so far isn’t and wasn’t an accident. All things happen for a reason. I have learned from every situation in my life, regret or not!

SLAM: Miss anything about being a kid?

AB: I miss the every Saturday/Sunday BBQ’s at my Uncle Johnny’s house.

SLAM: What was your favorite childhood television program? Mine was Full House (don’t judge me).

AB: LOL. Family Matters, Full House.

SLAM: What’s your favorite song of the moment?

AB: Whip My Hair.

SLAM: Oh boy. Okay, I’ll give you a pass for that one provided you answer this next one correctly…what’s your favorite song of all time?

AB: Anything old school…Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Betty White, Temptations, etc.

SLAM: You passed. : ) Favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?

AB: Hmmm, the same thing I do on a Friday night…nothing.

SLAM: Sounds like me. You must keep yourself occupied somehow – have any hidden talents the world hasn’t been privy to?

AB: I can dance

SLAM: I’m thinking we need to dive more into that at a later time. Here’s a random one – you’re about to walk the green mile, what do you have as your last meal?

AB: Gumbo or an okra stew my mom makes.

SLAM: Okra stew…no thanks. Moving on – if you could have three wishes granted what would they be?

AB: Successful Foundation, parents never work again, and an Ashton Martin…whoop whoop!

SLAM: haha! I didn’t know that was your dream car. In the same vein, name one thing not many people know about you:

AB: I would rather let it out and be ashamed than hold it in and be in pain! (Thanks, Grandma). I could always count on her for words of wisdom. Man, I miss that lady!

SLAM: Are you a morning or night person?

AB: Morning. 6AM workouts, baby! I get in, get out . I sometimes feel sorry for the people that have to get up with me to work out .

SLAM: So getting up that early, what do you usually think about right before falling asleep?

AB: If my alarm is set, than I’m out. Doesn’t take long, I tell ya!

SLAM: And your first thought when you wake up?

AB: What time is it?

SLAM: Here’s a few more random ones – sweet or salty foods?

AB: Sweet.

SLAM: Batman or Superman? Again, there IS a correct answer to this one…

AB: Batman. Only because of the car.

SLAM: Correct. Batman is ALWAYS better than Superman. What about ninjas or pirates?

AB: I’m not a fighter. Have never fought in my life.

SLAM: Okay, we’ll go more into the realm of fantasy – Autobots or Decepticons?

AB: What the heck is that? I even looked it up on my dashboard on my Mac!

SLAM: Ha! They’re from Transformers…the movies aren’t that great. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

AB: I wish I had the superpower to grant happiness.

SLAM: Can’t argue with that. Are you a collector of anything?

AB: Cars…if I could afford it. LOL!

SLAM: If you could be any animal, what would you be?

AB: A dog because they get all the love in the world!

SLAM: Aww! Haha. Do you believe in ghosts?

AB: NOPE.

SLAM: Ever been addicted to a video/computer game?

AB: Dance Dance Revolution. Ha, now I know why I dance the way I do.  :-/

SLAM: LOL! Speaking of dancing, have any bad habits?

AB: I hate combing my hair…so sometimes I don’t.

SLAM: Which bad habits, if any, drive you crazy?

AB: Not cleaning up after yourself. UUUUUGHHH.

SLAM: Couldn’t agree more. Sounds like you are a clean-freak like me.

AB: Clean, except for my locker in the locker room because it is too small even though I technically have two! Maybe I’ll start getting Virginia, my cleaning lady, to come do my lockers too.

SLAM: Le’t see…name three of your best personality traits:

AB: Ambitious, caring, loyal.

SLAM: Three of your worst?

AB: Hmmm, I can only think of one – I’m pretty anal.

SLAM: Anything you’d want to change about yourself?

AB: I really wish I could dance, Ben!!

SLAM: I thought you said you could! Any tattoos or piercings? I have two sleeves.

AB: None of your business, LOL.

SLAM: My bad, haha! What personality traits do you dislike in other people?

AB: Needy, insecure, unmotivated.

SLAM: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

AB: Australia.

SLAM: Would LOVE to live in Australia. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

AB: I would have to say Bora Bora!

SLAM: Alright, final one AB. List five goals on your life’s to-do list:

AB: Own and operate many franchises (think Magic Johnson) within my own holdings group. Another is to tell my parents, brother, and sister they don’t have to work anymore. Also, to build a successful non-profit foundation. I’m not a huge goal setter. I just know what I want and I go after them.

After all, “when they say I can’t…I will!”