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Beard won virtually every basketball award there was as a high school player in the state of Louisiana. Now, she's working on the college awards. The guard/forward has won three out of the five ACC rookie of the week honors awarded this season, was named MVP of the Women's Sport Foundation tournament and is a leading candidate for national freshman of the year.
The most heralded member of the best recruiting class in Duke history, Beard has made an immediate impact for the No. 6 Blue Devils. Along with fellow freshman Iciss Tillis, she has started every game for Duke, adding a spark on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
She leads a talented starting lineup of Tillis, seniors Georgia Schweitzer and Rochelle Parent and sophomore point guard Sheana Mosch in scoring (14.5), assists (3.6) and steals (4.0). Beard recorded her first double-double on Dec. 9 against Clemson (18 points, 10 rebounds). Although she struggled to stay out of foul trouble early in the season, she has stepped up against Duke's toughest competition, averaging 21.1 points versus ranked teams.
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