Los Angeles, CA-- The WNBA revealed today that Los Angeles Sparks guard/forward Alana Beard won the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year Honor for the second straight period. The 36-year-old Beard comes to be the fifth player in WNBA history to win the award in consecutive seasons and is just one of simply 10 gamers to win the award in the league's 22-year background. A lot more outstanding, Beard is the only border player to win the honor this years. Beard got 16 of the 39 votes from the media panel, adhered to by Sylvia Fowles of the Minnesota Lynx who finished second with 9 secured a Triggers defense that completed first in points enabled, second in defensive score and initially in steals per game. Separately, Beard ended up 4th in the WNBA in both steals per game and swipe percent, per Basketball Recommendation. Beard routinely restricted her challengers to season-lows in scoring and firing percent and is related to by her peers as the most effective defensive gamer in the is the 2nd Sparks player to win Defensive Player of the Year as Lisa Leslie won the award in 2004 and 2008. Beard is a four-time All-Star, a 2016 WNBA Champion and now a two-time Defensive Player of the Year Sparks Jersey.