Brea Beal

Breanna Beal (born November 8, 2000) is an American basketball player who is a free agent. She played college basketball at South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Early life and high school career Beal was born on November 8, 2000, to Kevin Beal and Nicole Adamson. She grew up training for basketball under the guidance of her father, who played for UTEP at the collegiate level, and drew inspiration from Maya Moore. She also took part in gymnastics and swimming before focusing on basketball. In eighth grade, Beal joined the Midwest Elite Amateur Athletic Union program. She made local headlines as one of the top eighth-grade players in the country. Beal played basketball for Rock Island High School in her hometown of Rock Island, Illinois. and became the second sophomore with Parker to win Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. In her junior season, Beal averaged 21.9 points, 10 rebounds, 3.3 assists and three blocks per game, leading Rock Island to its third consecutive Class 4A sectional runner-up finish. She repeated as Illinois Miss Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year. As a senior, Beal averaged 24.9 points, 13.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.4 blocks and 3.4 steals per game, as her team finished with a 30–2 record and won its first sectional title since 1991. She was named Illinois Miss Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year for a third straight season, joining Candace Parker as the only three-time recipients of either award, and was selected as Quad-City Times Female Athlete of the Year. She finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in the Western Big 6 Conference.

Recruiting Beal was considered a five-star recruit and the number 10 player in the 2019 class by ESPN. In sixth grade, she received her first college basketball scholarship offer, from Iowa.

College career In her freshman season at South Carolina, Beal became a regular starter due to her defensive ability. Her team was ranked number one in the nation and had a 32–1 record before the 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 18, 2021, Beal scored a career-high 22 points against Arkansas. She helped South Carolina reach the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA tournament. As a sophomore, Beal averaged 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. In her junior season, she helped South Carolina win the national championship, recording 12 points against Louisville in the Final Four.

Career statistics Denotes season(s) in which Beal won an NCAA Championship College

Professional career On April 10, 2023, Beal was selected in the second round as the 24th overall of the 2023 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx. She was waived by the Lynx in mid May, before the start of their regular season.

In March 2024, the Las Vegas Aces signed Beal to a training camp contract. On May 2, 2024, the Aces waived her from their 2024 roster before the start of preseason.

Personal life After her sophomore year of college, Beal signed a name, image and likeness deal with Cameo.