Latest news with #SarahAshleeBarker
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
For three Sparks rookies, the WNBA journey is one of uncertainty and promise
Well before fans stream into Arena for the Sparks' rematch against the Phoenix Mercury, Sarah Ashlee Barker is on the court two and a half hours early. The first out of the tunnel, as she's been all season, she fires off jump shots with a stone-faced expression. Thrown unexpectedly into a starting role as a rookie, Barker's rise in the WNBA has outpaced even her own expectations. Amid a season riddled with injuries, the Sparks have leaned on their first-round pick. Advertisement On this day, Barker was trying to adjust to a new role coming off the bench after forcing some plays that hindered the team's success. Life for a rookie in the WNBA demands adaptability. An uncommon sight across the league, the Sparks kept all three of their recent draft picks on the roster. They are former college standouts who earned conference honors, with one winning a national championship. But they face far greater physicality, speed and overall grit in the WNBA. A quick promotion Sparks guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, right, drives to the basket against Golden State Valkyries guard Julie Vanloo on May 6. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press) For Barker, the jump to the WNBA has been grueling. In a short time, she's faced some of the league's top players — Chelsea Gray, Nneka Ogwumike, Rhyne Howard. At times, she's held her own. But there are also moments when she's looked every bit like a rookie. Advertisement When Sparks coach Lynne Roberts first told Barker she'd be starting, the message was short and direct: 'Hey kiddo, you're going to be starting. I believe in you. I have confidence in you. I trust you.' 'Those matchups are tough,' Roberts acknowledged. 'That's throwing a rookie in the deep end, but I do think she was ready for it.' Barker was soon shifted to the bench to "take some pressure off," but it didn't last long. The injury-plagued Sparks needed her to start again. Back in the starting lineup, she delivered her best stat line of the season: 12 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes during a loss to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday. Advertisement Read more: Kelsey Plum returns, but Sparks fall to Minnesota for their third straight loss She continues to bounce in and out of the starting lineup, depending on the team's needs. Barker credits veterans on the team, especially from Kelsey Plum, for helping her adapt. 'She's been a leader to me pretty much since I got to L.A.,' Barker said. 'She has so much experience, so I listen to everything she says.' When Barker arrived in L.A., she joined Plum's intense workouts — a challenge that left her breathless but determined, Roberts said. At practice, Plum takes a hands-on approach, guiding Barker through defensive shifts and assignments. Advertisement Off the court, Plum's is just as involved. In a now-viral clip , Plum revealed Barker had played through training camp wearing an 'old' pair of Sabrina Ionescu's signature shoes — 'a disaster,' Plum joked. That led Plum to contact Ionescu, who sent Barker six new pairs. 'She's always telling me just to have fun too with the game,' Barker said. 'But being able to have that presence and being able to teach me in any way, it does mean a lot.' A lower-profile journey Sania Feagin, right, poses for a photo with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected 21st overall by the Sparks in the WNBA draft in April. (Pamela Smith / Associated Press) Sparks second-round pick Sania Feagin has seen little game action. For Feagin, this isn't uncharted territory. Despite being the nation's No. 1 high school forward and a five-star recruit, she had to wait her turn as a freshman at South Carolina behind some of the country's top talent, including Aliyah Boston, Laeticia Amihere and Victaria Saxton. Advertisement Facing a logjam of talent, much like her current situation with the Sparks, Feagin didn't start until her junior year and didn't become a regular in the Gamecocks' rotation until her senior season. Just as she did in college, Feagin is using time on the sideline to observe, learn and prepare — knowing that when her name is called, she doesn't want to squander the minutes she gets. 'I knew it was going to be different,' Feagin said of her rookie year. 'But since I am in the same boat, I can't do nothing but to learn to trust the process.' Read more: Sparks' Rickea Jackson continues a smooth transition to stardom Feagin has only spoken once with Roberts about earning more minutes. Roberts encouraged her to keep learning and assured her that things would eventually fall into place. She has repeatedly said Feagin is working her way into the rotation and believes she'll be a starter in the league one day. Advertisement For now, Roberts knows Feagin is itching to play, which makes keeping her engaged and motivated during this waiting period a delicate balancing act. 'You don't want them to be OK with not playing,' Roberts said. 'They have to understand that they don't control when I put them in, but when you do get put in, you control how ready you are. … Those are the conversations we've had with her. And of course, she wants to play. ... She's staying ready.' Just before training camp cuts, general manager Raegan Pebley and Roberts told Feagin she had made the team — and made sure she understood how rare that was for a second-round pick. Trying to stay on roster Sparks guard Liatu King shoots over Minnesota's Maria Kliundikova during a game on June 14. (Matt Krohn / Getty Images) The odds of landing a roster spot are stacked heavily against a third-round pick. One of just three currently on a WNBA active roster, forward Liatu King's rookie season has been nothing short of a whirlwind. Advertisement The former Pitt and Notre Dame star was selected by Sparks with their final draft pick and spent the next month battling for a roster spot during training camp. When final cuts were revealed, King found herself on the outside looking in — waived and boarding a flight back to South Bend, Ind. For many, getting cut is a tough pill to swallow. But King chose not to dwell on the disappointment. Instead, she returned to Notre Dame and got back in the gym with coach Carlos Knox. Pebley and Roberts gave King specific areas to work on — feedback she took seriously. And Pebley told her to stay by the phone. Read more: WNBA motherhood: The balancing act between career and kids Advertisement 'She said this league is so crazy, anything can happen,' King said of Pebley. 'She was true to that. People get hurt. People have to go places. The unknown is always happening.' King's phone rang a week and a half later. The Sparks were already down a key contributor after Rae Burrell injured her knee in the season opener. Then Rickea Jackson suffered a concussion in the next game and entered protocol, leaving the team in urgent need of reinforcements. The first call went to King, who signed a rest-of-season hardship waiver contract. The turnaround from waived to role player came even faster than from draftee to cut. 'It's been surreal, to be honest, and I didn't know it would happen that quickly,' King said of her Sparks debut, when she played 13 minutes. 'I Ubered to Chicago [from South Bend, Ind.]. Then I flew from Chicago to LAX, and then the same day, we [flew] ... to Phoenix to play the Mercury the next day. I was literally in three different time zones.' Advertisement Unfazed, King said Roberts told her she'd be playing at the three-spot in place of Jackson and Burrell. Her quick insertion into the rotation, she says, 'is just a testament to always being ready, always keeping close connections.' An unclear future Roster moves in the WNBA come with a heavy dose of uncertainty — and for rookies, that volatility is even sharper. With the WNBA All-Star break less than a month away, nearly half of this year's rookie class (42%) have already been released from teams across the league. Of those, some were initially cut and re-signed, like King, or were picked up by other teams. Now, King is one of the 22 rookies still active on a WNBA roster and currently in the rotation. But her future remains in limbo. With only 12 coveted roster spots and several sidelined players expected to return, the Sparks' front office will soon have to decide which hardship signees will be dismissed. Advertisement Julie Allemand is expected back from EuroBasket in late June. It's unclear when Odyssey Sims, out for personal reasons, will return. Cameron Brink, who suffered a torn ACL last season, had targeted a return around the all-star break. The biggest factor affecting King's spot is Burrell's potential return. She was injured May 17 and expected to miss six to eight weeks, making her comeback possible between late June and mid-July. King has done enough to earn praise from teammates and coaches, with Roberts saying 'she has earned my trust, because I know when she goes out there, she will give me everything she has.' Read more: Sparks' Sarah Ashlee Barker overcame a debilitating condition to become a pro The next few months will serve as a long-term tryout for King to prove her worth, not just to the Sparks, but to teams around the league. Advertisement Like King, teammate Emma Cannon faced similar challenges nearly a decade earlier. Undrafted out of Florida Southern, she spent six years bouncing around overseas — in Australia, Germany and Russia — before finally making her WNBA debut at 28 with the Phoenix Mercury. 'It's super hard, especially when at that time, it was only 144 spots and you're trying to get one,' Cannon said, noting the league's notoriously limited roster spots. With King in particular, Cannon sees a reflection of her own journey, having been waived and signed to hardship contracts multiple times throughout her career. When King was let go, Cannon was one of the first to reach out. 'I've been in Liatu's shoes before,' Cannon said. 'I wanted her to know that just because one door closed, doesn't mean that another one won't open. I told her to make sure that she stays confident in what her abilities are, that she continues to work hard. … Look, we called her right back.' Advertisement Cannon relates to each of the rookies, having walked their paths at different points in her career. She started at the bottom, coming off the bench with limited minutes, averaging just 13 per game as a rookie. 'Just that first year, it was super nerve-wracking, I'm not gonna lie,' Cannon said. 'You finally get to where you wanted, and it's here — and you just want to make sure you do everything in your power to stay.' Read more: Caitlin Clark pushed to ground, and does some shoving of her own, during testy win over Sun Cannon recognizes the daily grind and small victories that are keeping the trio on the roster. She sees Barker embracing an unexpected starting role, Feagin staying ready and making the most of limited minutes and King clawing her way back from being waived to logging meaningful time. Advertisement Only three rookies — Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — have more starts than Barker this season. Barker admits the start to her pro basketball career has 'definitely been a lot,' but says she's found ways to stayed grounded. 'I've learned to be where your feet are, be exactly where you are in the moment,' Barker said. 'That's the mindset I need to be in, because if you make it just about basketball 24/7, it will kind of overtake you.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sparks rookie drops brutally honest Kelsey Plum admission
The post Sparks rookie drops brutally honest Kelsey Plum admission appeared first on ClutchPoints. LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Sparks have been hit with a wave of absences and injuries this season and have yet to see a fully healthy lineup under new head coach Lynne Roberts. As a result, rookies such as Sarah Ashlee Barker have been called upon to play a bigger role for the Sparks than what was perhaps initially intended. But for Barker, she's been grateful to have a veteran mentor such as Kelsey Plum to help ease her rookie season with the Sparks. Advertisement Kelsey Plum is currently sidelined due to a leg injury, and Roberts acknowledged that a potential timetable for Plum's return is unknown. But even on the bench, Plum was a vocal leader during the Sparks' Tuesday loss to the Seattle Storm, especially for Sarah Ashlee Barker. Following the game, Barker spoke about how Plum has been a steadying force for her as she continues to get used to the WNBA. 'She's been a leader to me pretty much ever since I got to LA. Just having her voice, she has so much experience so I'm gonna listen to anything that she says,' Barker said. 'And she's always telling me just to have fun too with the game of basketball. When we were on the bench, she was just like, 'hey, they're going under you, just shoot the ball.'' 'I think in the fourth quarter, she smiled at me when I made a three because she literally just told me kind of how to read it,' Barker continued. 'But being able to have that presence and being able to teach me in any way, it does mean a lot.' Advertisement Against the Storm, Barker got the start and finished with a career-high 12 points, seven rebounds and one assist in 34 minutes. She shot 4-of-5 from the three-point line. Her four made three-point shots were also a career-best to this point. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Barker has been an important part of the Sparks' rotation amid the absences they've had, in the backcourt in particular. She's started seven of the 12 games she's played in to this point, and looks like she can be an integral part of the team for the present and the future. 'I think that's something that's gonna be a learning curve for me, just don't get down on the shots I feel like I need to make because it's gonna come back around. Coach has always been in my ear like, 'hey, you missed that one, all right well you're gonna make the next one,'' Barker said. 'Just continue to engrave that in my head, and also just knowing that I have confidence from every single coach, every single player, every single vet, that kind of helps my spirit a little bit.' Related: Shey Peddy ready to make the most of Sparks opportunity [Exclusive] Related: Kelsey Plum's injury return remains a question mark, per Sparks coach Lynne Roberts
New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sparks face backlash after social media users accuse WNBA team of posting ‘thirst traps'
The Los Angeles Sparks came under fire on social media this week for a post that some users claimed sexualized one of the team's players. The Sparks' X page shared a post Tuesday afternoon teasing the team's game against the Seattle Storm later that evening. Advertisement The post shared a graphic of rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker wearing what appeared to be a crop top. 'Back in front of the home crowd,' the post said, adding game details. Fans seemed unimpressed with the decision to post Barker dressed in that way. 'Where's the jersey's man,' one user wrote. Advertisement 'These gameday posts frying me. No unis or nothing, just thirst traps,' another added. Another user wrote, in part, 'What kind of chance does women's sports have if this is OFFICIAL team communication??? Are they playing in lingerie? Then put them in the fkn jerseys on gameday.' The Sparks have previously shared game day posts of players wearing their uniforms. Back in front of the home crowd. 🆚 Seattle Storm ⏰ 7 PM PT 📺 @SpectrumSN & @NBATV Tickets still available: — Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) June 17, 2025 Advertisement 4 Sarah Ashlee Barker controls the ball during a game against the Seattle Storm at Arena on June 17, 2025. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Just last week, Sparks forward Cameron Brink faced similar criticism from a fan online, accusing the former first-round pick of putting more time into 'walking down red carpets and schmoozing' than rehabbing her ACL injury. 'She should've been back on the court now, and something tells me that if she put as much work into rehab as she puts into walking down red carpets and schmoozing, she'd be back by now,' the fan wrote in a comment that Brink posted on her Instagram stories last week. 'I'm working INCREDIBLY hard every day. I would give anything to be out on the court right now. Basketball is my passion and everything to me… to say this you aren't a real fan. Advertisement 4 Barker plays the ball in the paint during an offensive possession against the Storm. NBAE via Getty Images 4 Barker drives the ball during a game against the Minnesota Lynx at the Target Center on June 14, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images 4 Barker poses for a photo before a game against the Phoenix Mercury in Los Angeles on June 1, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images 'Thank you to those who understand ACLs can take a year & giving me grace. I cannot wait until I get to play again.' Brink, 23, has been sidelined since she tore the ACL in her left knee during a June 2024 game against the Connecticut Sun. She was averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a game before the injury.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Sparks face backlash after social media users accuse WNBA team of posting ‘thirst traps'
The Los Angeles Sparks came under fire on social media this week for a post that some users claimed sexualized one of the team's players. The Sparks' X page shared a post Tuesday afternoon teasing the team's game against the Seattle Storm later that evening. The post shared a graphic of rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker wearing what appeared to be a crop top. "Back in front of the home crowd," the post said, adding game details. Fans seemed unimpressed with the decision to post Barker dressed in that way. "Where's the jersey's man," one user wrote. "These gameday posts frying me. No unis or nothing, just thirst traps," another added. Another user wrote, in part, "What kind of chance does women's sports have if this is OFFICIAL team communication??? Are they playing in lingerie? Then put them in the fkn jerseys on gameday." The Sparks have previously shared game day posts of players wearing their uniforms. Just last week, Sparks forward Cameron Brink faced similar criticism from a fan online, accusing the former first-round pick of putting more time into "walking down red carpets and schmoozing" than rehabbing her ACL injury. "She should've been back on the court now, and something tells me that if she put as much work into rehab as she puts into walking down red carpets and schmoozing, she'd be back by now," the fan wrote in a comment that Brink posted on her Instagram stories last week. "I'm working INCREDIBLY hard every day. I would give anything to be out on the court right now. Basketball is my passion and everything to me… to say this you aren't a real fan. "Thank you to those who understand ACLs can take a year & giving me grace. I cannot wait until I get to play again." Brink, 23, has been sidelined since she tore the ACL in her left knee during a June 2024 game against the Connecticut Sun. She was averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a game before the injury. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
LA Sparks slammed by WNBA fans for 'thirst trap' promo: 'Women used to fight so hard to avoid exactly this'
The Los Angeles Sparks social media team is under fire for their choice of image for a gameday graphic that has since gone viral by fans who think it attracts all the wrong attention. Before last night's game against the Seattle Storm, the team put out a graphic with gameday information and where fans could watch the game. Accompanying this information was a picture of Sparks rookie Sarah Ashlee Barker, the ninth overall pick of this year's draft out of the University of Alabama. But rather than an image of Barker in a Sparks jersey, she was seen pointing at the camera while spinning a basketball on her finger. However, fans were upset by the attire Barker was wearing - a simple black tie-off top more akin to a bikini top than anything else. The graphic differentiated from team's last two graphics for their road games - which showed players in their uniforms. But, this does follow a trend that the Sparks have had for their home games - which show players in more casual and stylish clothing rather than jerseys. Fans on social media berated the Sparks front office for their 'thirst trap' promotion Nevertheless, the team's social media account was inundated with abuse over Barker's clothing. 'These gameday posts frying me. No unis or nothing, just thirst traps,' wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter. Another user said, 'Real s**t women used to fight so hard to avoid exactly this.' 'Every time they do a graphic like this they get dragged but they keep doing it???,' a third user posted. 'This s**t needs to go, right now. Not "don't do this again in the future" I mean press the delete button, right now,' another user demanded. 'What kind of chance does women's sports have if this is OFFICIAL team communication??? Are they playing in lingerie? Then put them in the fkn jerseys on gameday.' One user posted, 'I am gonna say this with as much respect as I can. If the WNBA wants to be taken seriously as a professional sports league, teams cannot use photos like this in their marketing. The Lakers aren't sharing shirtless Austin Reaves photos with their game info.' Neither the Sparks or Barker have publicly addressed the backlash, but Barker did re-post the image on her Instagram story.
