HER MOMENT: Sarah Ashlee Barker Delivers the Most Clutch Performance Ever Against Maryland

Down three with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line, Alabama went to their graduate leader.

With no timeouts, the Crimson Tide raced down the court as precious seconds ticked off the overtime clock.

Diana Collins dribbled into two Maryland defenders before Sarah Ashlee Barker rotated to the top of the key. With one second left, Collins tossed the rock to Barker, who launched a deep-trey for the tie.

Saylor Poffenbarger quickly raised her hands to contest the shot but closed out too hard, crashing into Barker.

With the center spotlight on her and a nervous energy surrounding the XFINITY Center, Barker calmly walked up to the free throw line.

She followed her routine and sank the first free throw. Then the second. As the home court cheered, Barker swished the third to tie the game at 96 apiece, triumphantly waving her fists as her teammates celebrated sending the game to double overtime.

Unfortunately, Alabama ran out of steam, falling in the second overtime period to Maryland 111-108.

Despite the loss, Barker’s performance was one for the ages, as the graduate student shattered a program and SEC record for points in an NCAA Tournament game, finishing with 45 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Barker’s final collegiate game was a testament to her status within the program as a legend. She graduates from Tuscaloosa as the program’s all-time player efficiency rating leader and box/plus minus, establishing herself as the ultimate two-way guard.

After transferring from Georgia, Barker wraps up her Alabama career averaging 13.9 points, nearly six boards and two steals across three seasons in Tuscaloosa. That doesn’t include a deadly shot from beyond the arc, knocking down triples at a near 35% clip.

With the clutch gene, Barker has always been in the spotlight.

Alongside leading the No. 21 team in the nation, Barker also energized audiences with pre-game vlogs that highlighted the travel, practice and preparation before every tournament game.

But now, Barker may be vlogging for games at the professional level.

Before the NCAA Tournament, Barker had been present on WNBA mock drafts as a potential late first-round pick. However, a 45-point explosion on the biggest stage on an efficient 17-25 from the field is a stat line that will catch the scouts’ attention.

With the WNBA Draft only two weeks away, Barker may have played herself into a higher draft position.

With the hypotheticals aside, Barker summed up what all basketball enthusiasts thought about regarding Alabama’s game.

“If you’re a fan of women’s basketball, I think that every single person could say that was one of the best games they’ve ever watched,” she said.

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