Sarah Ashlee Barker was not supposed to be here. Not in a Portland Fire uniform. Not averaging career highs across the board. And certainly not shooting nearly 45 percent from three after a rookie season that left plenty of room for doubt.
But here she is — the No. 9 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, left unprotected by the Los Angeles Sparks in the expansion draft, now thriving in a system that lets her unleash the work she put in all offseason.
The irony? She says the Sparks helped build the player the Fire are now reaping the rewards from.
A Plan Built for LA, Executed in Portland
After a solid but unspectacular rookie campaign — 29.5 percent from deep on fewer than two attempts per game — Barker knew exactly what she needed to improve. That offseason blueprint came straight from the Sparks’ coaching staff.
“It definitely helps with this system. I’m able to get more shots off and all that. But at the same time, people forget my offseason work was what LA wanted me to work on,” Barker told reporters before Portland’s June 7 matchup against the Sparks. “And so that was one of the things, ‘how can we get your 3-point shot to be more consistent.’”
That consistency has arrived. Through 15 games with the Fire, Barker is hitting 44.9 percent of her threes on 3.3 attempts per game — third-best on the team in percentage, but far and away the highest volume among Portland’s top shooters. Teja Oblak sits at 58.3 percent but has taken only 12 triples. Serah Williams hits at 50 percent on a single attempt.
Barker has launched 49 threes, second only to Bridget Carleton’s 93. Her overall numbers tell the full story: 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 50.8 percent from the field, and 23.7 minutes per game — all career bests.
Trust, Freedom, and a Winning Record
Barker initially had no idea she’d be available in the expansion draft. Her offseason work was laser-focused on returning to Los Angeles. That changed when the Fire selected her, and the adjustment has been seamless.
“I give a lot of credit to LA because just the work that we put in the offseason and what I was trying to attack every single day was to come back and play for LA and be better for myself,” she said. “I have a lot of gratitude for that.”
Portland head coach Alex Sarama has handed Barker the keys to a ball-movement offense that prioritizes unselfishness and player freedom. The result? More touches, more creation, and a team that sits at 8-7 just past the quarter mark of the season.
“I know how much trust they have in me as a coaching staff, and even my teammates, all of us have so much trust. And just the unity within each other, we’re so connected that it could be anybody’s night, it’s not just one person,” Barker said. “When we win games and when we’re being successful, it’s when you’ve got 15, 10, 12, 15, 14 … it’s not just one player that’s contributing, it’s all of us.”
Barker has started four games and played in all 15. Her increased usage — and her efficiency with it — has turned her into one of the early success stories of the expansion era.
“Yeah the ball is in my hands a lot more, but at the end of the day, I’m just trying to take every opportunity and just do the best of my ability,” she added.
For the Sparks, the loss was a painful roster math problem. For the Fire, it was a gift. And for Barker, it’s a reminder that sometimes the best opportunities come from being overlooked.
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