2 weeks Ago
At 13 years old, Sarah Ashlee Barker came close to losing her dream of becoming a WNBA player before it began. Barker was an eighth-grader when she was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans, a condition that disrupts blood flow to a bone beneath joint cartilage, causing pain and limiting mobility. The condition in her left knee required surgery at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Ala.
Doctors gave her a recovery timeline of nearly a year; but two months later, she received news that the procedure had been unsuccessful. To keep her basketball dreams alive, she would need a more invasive surgery, one that would last more than four hours. Advertisement "He [Dr.
Jeffrey Dugas] told me, 'Hey, this surgery may not work,'" Barker said. "You need to ..
. be prepared that you may not be able to jump as well, cut as well and be as fast as you used to." On Monday, Barker became the first of three draft picks in the new chapter of Sparks basketball under coach Lynne Roberts.
A standout wing at Alabama, she was selected ninth overall after establishing herself as one of the Southeastern Conference's best players. Sarah Ashlee Barker addresses the media during SEC media day. (Mike Stewart / Associated Press) "Thankfully, the surgery did end up working," Barker said.
"But I did have those what-ifs in the back of my mind. ..
. I'm just so grateful for one more game or practice. .
.. I almost had it taken away from me.
" A two-time All-SEC first team selection, Barker is coming off a season that saw her stock rise with a stat line of 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.
9 assists per game. However, it wasn't until March Madness that she became a national sensation. Her performance for the Crimson Tide, which helped them reach the tournament's second round, included a program-record 45 points in a tough loss.
She did everything she could to make herself an appealing prospect, but heading to L.A. wasn't a guarantee.
Advertisement Most believed...
Anthony De Leon.
