Fire guard’s breakout perfectly encapsulates the beauty of WNBA expansion

For the majority of her college career, Sarah Ashlee Barker wasn't projected to be drafted anywhere near as high as she was. Many draft boards expected her to still be available by the end of the first round, if not well into the second.

She produced fairly quietly, but consistently for the Alabama Crimson Tide, averaging 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and two steals a game her senior year. Then, she put the nation on notice. In the last game of her collegiate career, Barker scored 45 points (also recording eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals) against Maryland in a heartbreaking three-point, 2OT loss. Suddenly, a young talent that managed to slip through the cracks of national coverage forced watchers to ackowledge that she was one of the best in the game.

The next month, the Los Angeles Sparks drafted Barker (sometimes referred to as SAB by fans) with the ninth pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and Barker had to find ways to make an impact without nearly as many touches as she'd enjoyed in the SEC. Joining a team with stars like Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby meant that LA didn't need SAB's scoring or ball-handling. They just needed a rookie hungry to make a difference wherever she could.

Barker was that for the Sparks. Despite only averaging 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds for the team, she was often tasked with guarding opponents' best players, and her ability to slot into any lineup meant LA's vets could rest and trust that any lead would not be automatically lost.

Barker finds a new home in Portland

I imagine the Sparks would have kept Barker if they could, but, sure enough, the 2026 Expansion Draft came—and this time, two teams would be sniping the rest of the league's role players. Barker was drafted to Portland with the 18th pick, joining Bridget Carleton and Cara Leite in the City of Roses.

So far, the Fire have won two games, and Barker was the player that stepped up big in both. In the first, she scored a game-winning putback layup at the buzzer to knock off the top-seeded New York Liberty in a game most predicted to be a blowout. The crowd went wild, and SAB soaked it in in what seemed to be equal parts disbelief and sorrow. She later revealed that she'd lost someone important to her the day before, and that that shot was the "perfect ending."

In the Fire's most recent game against a struggling Connecticut Sun team, Barker once again came up clutch to drive her squad across the finish line. In 20 minutes off the bench, Barker scored 18 points (2-3 from three), including a masterful steal and and-1 layup through contact to ice the game for the Fire. They went on to win by only one point, and "S-A-B" chants filled the Fire Pit.

This is the true beauty of expansion: not only do more people get to suit up and play in the WNBA, but players who were once boxed into small roles get the chance to show that they too are capable of leading successful teams. Its been a pleasure watching SAB lit up the Fire Pit, and with so many games left in the season, I can only imagine who else will cement themselves as legit for the Fire and Tempo.

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