Aliyah Boston sends heartfelt message after WNBA guard suffers season-ending injury

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Sarah Ashlee Barker received an outpouring of support after revealing the devastating news that her second WNBA season had come to an abrupt end.

The Portland Fire guard suffered a torn ACL during Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Wings and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season. Barker addressed the injury Friday in an emotional Instagram post, prompting Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston to offer some encouraging words.

“Praying for you,” Boston wrote. “God got you!”

Boston was among several WNBA players who rallied around Barker as the 24-year-old prepared to begin a long rehabilitation process.

Sarah Ashlee Barker suffers torn ACL

Barker was injured early in the first quarter against Dallas. After driving underneath the basket, she delivered a pass to teammate Frieda Buhner for a 3-pointer. Barker then fell to the floor with an apparent injury to her left leg and immediately appeared to be in significant pain.

Portland Fire Sarah Ashlee Barker went down assisting her teammate Frieda Buhner. Barker has a history of left knee problems and this was related to her left leg. pic.twitter.com/boJwCnRC79

— Global Utopia Sports (@GL8BAL_SPORTS) July 23, 2026

Portland’s training staff and Barker’s teammates helped her leave the court. She did not return to the game. The Fire confirmed Thursday that Barker had torn her ACL and would undergo surgery, officially ending a promising season for the second-year guard.

Barker then shared a message with her teammates, the Portland organization and its fans.

“To my teammates, what I’d do to be out on the court with you all for the rest of the season,” Barker wrote. “Thank you for the support you all have shown me. I genuinely do not have the words to express how much you each mean to me. There’s no one else I’d rather be out on that court with.

“Let’s keep proving people wrong. Next person up, that’s what we do, that’s what we’ve done all year.”

Boston’s response was brief, but it added another prominent voice to the support surrounding Barker.

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Barker’s breakout season ends early

The injury arrived at an especially difficult time for Barker, who had established herself as an important part of Portland’s rotation. Barker entered Wednesday’s game averaging 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. She had started 15 consecutive games for the Fire and appeared to be finding her place in the league after receiving limited playing time earlier in her WNBA career.

The former Alabama standout was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Her combination of physical defense, rebounding and improving offensive production made her a valuable contributor for Portland. Barker’s emergence also made the season-ending diagnosis even more disappointing. Instead of continuing her breakout campaign after the All-Star break, she will now turn her attention toward surgery and rehabilitation.

Boston understands the physical demands placed on WNBA players and the emotional toll that accompanies a serious injury. The Fever center’s public show of support reflected the bond that often exists among players across the league, even when they compete for different teams.

Portland will have to adjust without one of its most productive guards, but Barker made it clear she will continue supporting the Fire throughout the remainder of the season.

Her teammates will attempt to follow the “next person up” mentality she emphasized. Barker, meanwhile, begins a difficult road back with Boston and many others across the WNBA firmly in her corner.