jump shot at the buzzer to give the Sparks a 1–0 lead. The Sparks would go on to win the series in five games, clinching the 2016 WNBA Championship and Beard winning her first career championship. In February 2017, Beard re-signed once again with the Sparks in free agency. During the 2017 season, Beard would once again start in 34 games for the second consecutive season, averaging 6.9 ppg, achieved a career-high in field goal shooting percentage and also led the league in steals, helping the Sparks to 26–8 record and the number 2 seed in the league. In September 2017, the WNBA announced that Beard won the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming only the second Sparks player after Lisa Leslie to do so. The Sparks would go on to advance to the Finals for the second season in a row, after defeating the Phoenix Mercury in a 3-game sweep, setting up a rematch with the Lynx. However, the Sparks would lose in five games, failing to win back-to-back championships. In February 2018, Beard again re-signed with the Sparks in free agency. Midway through the season, Beard suffered a groin injury which kept her out for a few weeks and would make her return by August. Beard would finish the season with a career-low in scoring, but she would end up winning Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. The Sparks finished 19–15 with the number 6 seed. They would defeat the championship-defending Minnesota Lynx 75–68 in the first round elimination game. In the second round elimination game, the Sparks would lose 96–64 to the Washington Mystics. In February 2019, Beard re-signed with the Sparks for the fourth time. In 2019, Beard was struggled with a hamstring injury throughout the entire season, causing her to only play half the season, also resulting in less playing time and a new career-low in scoring. Despite this, the Sparks were still a playoff team earning the number 3 seed with a 22–12 record, receiving a bye to the second round. They defeated the defending champion Seattle Storm in the second round elimination game by a score of 92–69. However, the Sparks were swept by the Connecticut Sun in the semi-finals. Beard announced her retirement from the WNBA on January 23, 2020 after a 15-year career. WNBA career statistics Regular season |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2004 | style="text-align:left;"|