Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker leaves game vs. South Carolina with apparent injury

During Alabama’s matchup against No. 1 South Carolina on Thursday evening, Alabama senior guard Sarah Ashlee Barker left the game with an injury. She headed to the locker room shortly after leaving the game.

If Barker does not return, it will be a significant loss for the Crimson Tide. Barker is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 17 points per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. She entered tonight leading all SEC guards in shooting percentage.

Before Barker left the game, she was struggling against South Carolina’s smothering defense. Barker had scored four points on 2-11 shooting. She had also added six rebounds to the Crimson Tide’s efforts. Barker returned to the bench, but has not gone back in the game.

Sarah Ashlee Barker has career day against Auburn

Barker didn’t face the same difficulties in Alabama’s 67-61 win over Auburn on Sunday. In the triumph, Barker amassed her 1,000th career point, with a little extra emotion powering her toward the milestone.

“I lost my grandmother three years ago, Feb. 6, and today is actually her birthday,” Barker said during the postgame press conference. “February’s a really hard month for me, and I was 7 points away from 1,000 today, so I think with the number 7, it’s just having faith.”

Barker has been a pivotal piece in Alabama’s recent success in conference play. Things looked dreary for the Crimson Tide early. In mid-January, the team lost three-straight games. The team’s U-turn began with a win at home against Kentucky.

“I knew that we really needed that game,” Barker said of Alabama’s three straight losses heading into Kentucky. “We had a week off before that game and I think it gave me a chance to mentally reset. Going in I really felt good about where I was. Things started to click, and once I got going there was no way they were going to stop me.”

Barker has taken a significant step forward this season. In the 2022-23 campaign, Barker played in 31 games, making 28 starts. Nonetheless, she only averaged 6.9 points, 2.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game for the season.

Her efficiency has similarly taken an enormous leap forward. The Alabama native shot just 38.2% from the field last season and 29.3% from 3-point range.