The 2023 WNBA Draft began as most expected. South Carolina basketball alum Aliyah Boston was taken first overall by the Indiana Fever. Not long after that, Laeticia Amihere and Zia Cooke also were selected in the first round. Up next was fellow National Defensive Player of the Year candidate Brea Beal. Beal fell further than projected as she was taken with the final pick of the 2nd round, 24th overall by the Minnesota Lynx.
During her Carolina career, Brea Beal was a defensive stopper (she held her matchups to 28% shooting). She has plenty to offer offensively but she selflessly sacrificed her own numbers for the betterment of the team. A wing who has played a more traditional guard role and some small-ball forward, Beal has a lot to offer at the next level.
Beal was a good passer at the college level and displayed some ballhandling ability that could result in her having the positional flexibility to play either shooting guard or small forward well as a pro. Her jump shot was good at Carolina, as well, as she shot in the upper 30s percent from 3-point range during her final three years.
Beal’s senior season at South Carolina saw her finally get some of the recognition she deserved. In her last year, she was an Honorable Mention All-American selection, an All-SEC honoree, and a finalist for the National Defensive Player of the Year award.
Beal was a pivotal member of the best recruiting class to ever come through the school and one of the best ever from any school.
The 2019 class at South Carolina went 129-9 (with just one loss at home at Colonial Life Arena), they were ranked inside the top-10 their entire careers, they made 3 Final Fours (there were only 3 NCAA Tournaments because of the 2020 Covid pandemic), they won 3 SEC Tournament Championships and 3 regular season SEC Championships, and they won a national title. They also won 42 games in a row, a number only beaten by two other programs in history.
Now with the Lynx, Beal will likely come into the league with a chip on her shoulder after being passed up by so many teams on draft night. She will join former Gamecock Tiffany Mitchell in Minnesota.