Sarah Ashlee Barker Tears ACL, Ending Her Best Season With the Portland Fire

Portland Fire guard Sarah Ashlee Barker will miss the rest of the 2026 WNBA season after tearing a ligament in her left knee. The team announced the news on Friday, July 24, after an MRI confirmed the injury. Barker will need surgery and won't be able to play again this year. The injury happened during a loss to the Dallas Wings on July 22, just before the WNBA All-Star Weekend.

Barker got hurt with just over six minutes left in the first quarter of the game. She lunged to save the ball from going out of bounds and fell to the floor, grabbing her left knee. Team staff helped her off the court and into the locker room. She was unable to put any weight on her leg during that time.

Portland head coach Alex Sarama called Barker the 'heart and soul' of the team after the loss. He said losing her hurts the team's defense a great deal. 'She is one of the better point of attack defenders in the league, and that's how we've been using her,' Sarama said. 'And it really hurts our defense.'

Barker was drafted ninth overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2025 out of the University of Alabama. She was later picked by Portland in the expansion draft, which gave new teams a chance to build their rosters. Moving to Portland gave Barker a bigger role and more time on the court. She quickly took advantage of the opportunity.

This season, Barker went from averaging 3.1 points per game to 10.7 points per game. She also set career highs in rebounds and assists, and shot the ball better than ever before. Her 4.5 rebounds per game ranked second on the entire team. All of these numbers showed she was becoming one of the Fire's most important players.

Barker also spoke highly of the team's veterans before her injury. She said players like Bridget Carleton and Megan DiLeo helped set the right example every day. 'They do such a good job of showing us the way and showing us how we do it every single day,' Barker said. She added that having experienced teammates allowed the younger players to grow and have fun.

The Portland Fire hold an 11-16 record and currently sit in ninth place in the WNBA standings. That puts them just outside the playoff spots. Losing Barker makes it even harder for the team to climb back into contention. Still, her breakout season showed that she has a bright future ahead in the league.