Brea Beal knows she owns a place in history.
As a two-time Ms. Basketball of Illinois winner, the Rock Island junior doesn’t shy from the rare company with whom she has placed herself.
Candace Parker of Naperville Central is the state’s only three-time Ms. Basketball. Bolingbrook’s Morgan Tuck won it as a freshman and a senior. Tyra Buss of downstate Mount Carmel became the state’s all-time scoring leader and earned the honor twice in a row.
“It really is an honor to be with those girls,” Beal said Friday. “It’s something I don’t take for granted.”
Beal is pleased to be among two legends in particular. Going through the list of Ms. Basketball winners, she perks up when she gets to Tamika Catchings of Stevenson and Cappie Pondexter of Marshall.
Like Catchings, Beal received the award as a sophomore. Like Pondexter, Beal has won it in consecutive seasons. Beal loves both players’ games and hopes to follow them as legends at the college, WNBA and international levels.
Both are extremely gifted players, and Beal has studied their games and emulated them. Their attitudes have proved an even bigger inspiration.
“They both have such strong minds,” Beal said. “They are great at overcoming obstacles. I still need to work on that. Sometimes when things don’t go right, I just break down. Those two are big influences on me.”
Before she proceeds to follow those players’ footsteps past high school, Beal knows she has some unfinished business. Parker won IHSA state titles in 2003 and 2004. Catchings won in 1995 before moving to Texas, and Pondexter was a champion in 1999. Tuck’s teams won three in a row with fellow McDonald’s All-American and Ms. Basketball winner Ariel Massengale in 2009-11.
Beal, on the other hand, has yet to advance to the final weekend of the state tournament.
“I’ve already gotten so many individual awards,” Beal said. “A state championship is first on my list. I need to get to state next year or I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
In each of the last four seasons, Rock Island has been eliminated by Edwardsville in a sectional final. In three years with Beal, the Rocks have cruised through the playoffs only to lose to the same team — the past two times to undefeated Tigers squads by two and four points.
“It’s been very disappointing,” Beal said. “I thought we were going to go further than that. This year I was very confident we were going to get past them. It just didn’t happen.”
Beal’s sophomore and junior seasons ended similarly, and she had modest statistical upgrades — 20.6 points per game to 21.9, 9.8 rebounds to 10.2. The Rocks’ schedule underwent a major upgrade, though, allowing Beal to show her stuff against a much more talented slate.
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Rock Island went 31-2 in 2016-17 and 24-8 this season. Among the Rocks’ losses were two against teams from Illinois — Rockford Boylan and Edwardsville — and six to powerhouses from California, Indiana, Iowa, New York and Oregon.
“I really appreciated playing that kind of schedule,” Beal said. “It’s good to see the talent that’s out there.”
Beal received her first scholarship offer in sixth grade and since has added more than she can count, including most of the nation’s major programs. She’s ranked the 10th-best junior prospect in the country by ESPN.
Beal said she has no timetable to make a college decision, but she singled out Iowa — her first offer — as a school that has impressed her with its recruitment.
Whenever she does decide where she’ll head next, all eyes will be on Beal. But she’s used to it.
“I do love being that girl,” Beal said. “But it does weigh on you a lot. The expectations are so high. It’s a blessing, though. When little boys and girls are looking up to you and want to be like you, how can you not love that?”
Twitter @Larkin_Will
Getting to know Ms. Basketball Brea Beal
Parents: Nicole Adamson, Kevin Beal
Siblings: Baker (13), Bakari (4), Baryn (3)
Favorite movie: “All Dogs Go to Heaven”
Favorite show: “Law & Order SVU”
Listening to: J Cole, G Herbo
Favorite team: Cavaliers
Favorite athlete: LeBron James
Dream job: Business owner
Opponent I respect the most: All — none more or less than another
Best memory in sports: Scoring 42 points in middle school
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Best memory outside sports: Watching births of brothers
Hobbies: Reading, online shopping
Favorite Mr. Basketball: No favorite
Favorite Ms. Basketball: Cappie Pondexter, Tamika Catchings
Favorite subjects: Pre-calculus, AP English
Favorite meal: Ribs and greens
Secret talent: Drawing
How I’d describe my game: Very versatile, powerful and athletic. I can do it all.