There was a time when Park basketball player Sarah Ashlee Barker was known as the daughter of quarterback Jay Barker, winner of the Alabama National Championship.
Now, after Spain Park has won two state women’s basketball championships in three years, Jay is best known as the father of Sarah Ashlee.
Younger Barker added to her high school trophy today when she was named 2019-20 Basketball Player of the Year Gatorade Alabama Girls.
“Sarah Ashlee is the best girl basketball player I have ever seen in high school and certainly the best player I have coached,” said Vestavia Hills coach John David Smelser in the press release about the award. “She has all the tools to be a great player, but what makes her so good is her mentality. She refuses to lose. “
Barker, a 6-foot senior who signed with Georgia, averaged 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game as Spain Park finished 32-4 and won the class 7A championship last weekend with a 47-44 victory over rival Hoover. She had 11 points and 15 rebounds in her last game in a Spain Park uniform.
Barker is a leading contender for the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Miss Basketball award, which will be announced next month at the annual Players of the Year banquet in Montgomery.
As a freshman, Barker spun a 3-point pointer to force overtime into the state title game and led the Jags to the 2018 7A State Championship in second year. She scored more than 2,000 points and had more than 1,000 rebounds in her career at Spain Park.
The Gatorade Prize recognizes players who combine sporting success while excelling in class and displaying exemplary character. She maintains a GPA of 3.31 and has volunteered locally on a school leadership panel to prevent bullying and discrimination.
Gatorade Basketball Players of the Year:
2019: Annie Hughes, Pisgah
2018: Zipporah Broughton, Lee-Montgomery
2017: Bianca Jackson, Brewbaker Tech
2016: Jasmine Walker, Jeff Davis
2015: Shaquera Wade, Huntsville High
2014: Alexis Jennings, Sparkman