RIDGELEY, W.Va. — One by one, Abby Beeman has accomplished every one of her goals. Cross one more off the list: The Frankfort grad is a professional basketball player.
Beeman, the 2023-24 Sun Belt Player of the Year at Marshall, inked a one-year deal over the weekend with Hamar of the Icelandic Subway League, the top tier of basketball in the country.
“It feels great,” Beeman said. “It’s something I’ve worked towards. Even though it’s the back end of my career, I’m happy that I can say that it’s my job to play basketball. There’s nothing better than that.”
Beeman is joining a Hamar squad that was recently promoted from the Icelandic Division 1, which is what the nation calls its second league.
Hamar earned automatic promotion after winning the Division 1 regular-season following a 16-5 campaign.
The club’s most successful period in the top flight was from 2010-11. Hamar was runner-up in the regular season and in the playoffs in 2010, and it captured the 2011 regular-season title.
Beeman, who scored 2,236 collegiate points spanning her time with Marshall (978) and Division 2 Shepherd (1,258), will have some big shoes to fill, as she’ll occupy the roster spot vacated by Aniya Thomas, last season’s league Most Valuable Player.
Thomas averaged 22.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.1 steals a game. Thomas now plays for Santas in Mexico.
In Iceland, teams are only allowed one American on the floor at a time, and Hamar has tabbed Beeman as its American.
It’s not hard to understand why.
Beeman was voted Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year following a senior season in which she finished eighth in the country in total assists (209) and assists per game (6.3).
The 5-foot-4 point guard led the Sun Belt in assists a game by 1.4 more than second place (Shaulana Wagner, Troy, 4.9 avg.), was third in steals per game (2.3), sixth in scoring average (16.6) and tied for 23rd in rebounds a night (5.6).
Beeman helped guide Marshall to its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1997 with a 95-92 victory over James Madison in the Sun Belt tournament championship game, earning tourney Most Outstanding Player along the way.
Marshall (26-7) received a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament and dropped its first-round game to No. 4 Virginia Tech, 92-49. Beeman was the lone Marshall player in double-figures with 12 points.
Beeman lit the area on fire during her time at Frankfort, ending her illustrious career in Short Gap with 2,228 points in 103 games — a 21.6 per game average. She won area Player of the Year twice.
“Not very many people get the opportunity to do this,” she said. “I want to represent the area well. Not everybody gets the support like we do here. I’m always thankful for the support I get from my hometown.”
Hamar could return as many as three double figure scorers in forwards Emma Hakonardottir (16.1 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game), and Tijana Raca (10.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and guard Hildur Gunnsteinsdottir (10.1 ppg, rpg).
Hakonardottir was 2nd-team All-Icelandic Division 1.
Beeman chose Hamar over four other offers. It’s not like college recruitment, where a player can sit on multiple offers. If a player doesn’t accept a contract, then a team will quickly move down the list to the next player.
Players in Beeman’s position who decline a contract have to hope they receive another one.
Eventually Beeman got the offer from Hamar and felt it was the right fit.
“The style of basketball they play fits me,” Beeman said. “They have a big spot for me to play. Something that some people might not think about, the coaches speak English, players know English. It’ll be easier for me to learn their system.”
Beeman also said it was imperative to play in a first league.
Her goal is to eventually play in a prestigious European league like in Italy or France, which many WNBA players compete in during the offseason, and playing well in a second league against lesser competition might not be enough for bigger clubs to give you a chance.
Beeman is no stranger to proving herself on the court. Out of high school, the All-State guard didn’t receive any Division 1 offers due to her height.
She started at Shepherd and earned All-American honors under Jenna Eckleberry, who now coaches at Frostburg State, before earning a Division 1 opportunity at Marshall for coach Tony Kemper.
The Ridgeley, West Virginia, native also enters the professional ranks after a year of tutelage by one of the nation’s best coaches in Kim Caldwell, who was hired by perennial power Tennessee after a year at Marshall.
“I’m super blessed to spent my last year with her,” Beeman said. “I had three coaches in college and all three taught me something. I learned how to be a professional at Marshall. They’re paying for your school, not compensated with money, but with education and I learned how to handle myself.”
While Beeman is hopeful about playing in bigger and better leagues in the future — as indicated by signing a one-year deal — she isn’t one to look ahead.
She still has a season of professional basketball to cross off her list first.
“It’s important for me to stay in the moment,” Beeman said. “You’ll have to stay tuned.”