Sarah Ashlee Barker Gets Emotional After Leading Portland Fire To Historic First WNBA Win

The Portland Fire had its first two home games. In the opening game, the Fire set a unique record, and in the second game, the side defeated the New York Liberty, marking the first win in their return to the league. It was all a chaotic scene and a crowded paint region when Sarah Ashlee Barker was at the right place at the right time to grab the rebound and score the game-winner.

The Fire bench erupted after the basket, and fans also could not contain their excitement after the first win for the side. But for the scorer, it was an emotional moment, who later explained the reason for her teary eyes.

Sarah Ashlee Barker Couldn’t Control Her Emotions

The Portland Fire earned the first pick in the 2026 expansion draft, and the side chose Bridget Carleton from the Lynx. The guard proved her selection with a game-high 26 points against the New York Liberty in the second game of the season. While she did the heavy scoring for the team, Barker’s final-second basket proved to be the game-winner, and the player lost her composure.

In the on-court interview, the interviewer pointed at her ‘red eyes’, the player explained the reason as she said, “I’ll be honest, it’s been an emotional 24 hours. I lost somebody who was important to me yesterday. And so tonight was God’s strength, not mine. So just perfect ending.”

Sarah Ashlee Barker on her buzzer beater that gave the Portland Fire their first win

“I’ll be honest it’s been an emotional 24 hours. I lost somebody who was important to me yesterday. And so tonight was God’s strength not mine. So just perfect ending.” pic.twitter.com/BJnC3zHID9

— correlation (@nosyone4) May 13, 2026

The player had mixed emotions with the win on the court but a loss in personal life. While the star did not publicly disclose the identity or specific relationship of the person, she later added, “The people that know the details, know the details.”

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Later in the post-game press conference, too, Barker spoke about the historic basket and thanked God for it.

Sarah Ashlee Barker Explains The Historic Game-Winner

Behind strong offensive gameplay from the back-court duo, the Portland Fire matched shorthanded New York Liberty on every possession. Interestingly, in the decisive fourth quarter, the team outscored the opposition 28-19 to seal the victory.

Explaining her final basket, the 24-year-old said, “I just saw the ball go to the side, and I knew I had to crash.”

“crash and jam”

Sarah Ashlee Barker speaks on her buzzer beater shot. pic.twitter.com/TD005CcXCV

— Portland Fire (@theportlandfire) May 13, 2026

She described the moment as “surreal,” saying instinct simply took over once the rebound bounced her direction and even called the basket a ‘god wink’.