No Beard Before Break? According to this morning's Washington Post, Alana Beard could barely walk during practice, and Coach Richie Adubato says he is "planning on not having her until after the All-Star break." This means that Alana would miss tonight's game against Sacramento and Sunday's against the Sky. The BasketCases could not agree more with Richie's assessment of playing without Alana: "Obviously, it's a huge loss for us."

While Coach Richie says she won't play, Alana is still lobbying to get back in the line-up sooner. In the same article, Alana tells the Post: "Right now, it's hard to say if I'll play [tonight] . . . . It's just a matter of what happens with my rehabilitation. I've iced my ankle for a half-hour every ninety minutes for the past five days." The BasketCases suspect that Richie will have the final say.

Message to Alana: The BasketCases admire your willingness to play hurt, but listen to Coach! We need you to be healthy down the stretch and in the playoffs.