Grace Berger
![]() Berger with Indiana in 2022 | |||||||||||||||
No. 34 – Indiana Fever | |||||||||||||||
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Position | Point guard | ||||||||||||||
League | WNBA | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born | (1999-06-03) June 3, 1999 (age 25) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S | ||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 160 lb (73 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school | Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville, Kentucky) | ||||||||||||||
College | Indiana (2018–2023) | ||||||||||||||
WNBA draft | 2023: 1st round, 7th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
Selected by the Indiana Fever | |||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2023–present | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
2023–present | Indiana Fever | ||||||||||||||
2024 | Athletes Unlimited League | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Grace Elizabeth Berger (born June 3, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Berger was drafted as the #7 pick of the 2023 WNBA Draft.
High school career
Berger played basketball for Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. In her junior season, she averaged 14.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, helping her team win the Seventh Region title and reach the state finals.[1] As a senior, Berger earned Courier-Journal Athlete of the Year, Kentucky All-Star and Seventh Region Player of the Year honors after averaging 15.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists and leading Sacred Heart back to the regional final.[2] She was a three-time All-State selection in high school.[3] Rated a five-star recruit by ESPN, Berger committed to play college basketball for Indiana over offers from Kentucky, Louisville and Michigan.[4]
College career
As a freshman at Indiana, Berger averaged 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.[5] In her sophomore season, she averaged 13.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, leading her team to a program-record 24 wins. She was a first-team All-Big Ten selection.[6] On November 25, 2020, in her junior season debut, Berger recorded the first triple-double in program history, with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 100–51 win against Eastern Kentucky.[7] She led the NCAA Division I with three triple-doubles during the season. Berger averaged 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists per game and was named first-team All-Big Ten.[8] At the 2021 NCAA tournament, she led Indiana to its first-ever Elite Eight appearance.[9] On February 12, 2022, Berger scored a career-high 29 points in a 76–58 win over Michigan State.[10] As a senior, she averaged 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game and was named first-team All-Big Ten for a third straight season.[11] Berger opted to return for a fifth year of eligibility, granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
Professional career
On April 10, 2023, Berger was selected in the first round as the seventh overall pick of the 2023 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever.[13]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
WNBA
Stats current as of game on June 21, 2024
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Indiana | 36 | 0 | 14.6 | .449 | .471 | .840 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 4.2 |
2024 | Indiana | 8 | 0 | 10.9 | .429 | .500 | .643 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3.6 |
Career | 2 years, 1 team | 44 | 0 | 13.9 | .446 | .474 | .769 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 4.1 |
College
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | Indiana | 34 | 4 | 20.3 | .422 | .217 | .521 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 5.5 |
2019–20 | Indiana | 30 | 30 | 34.4 | .456 | .300 | .769 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 13.1 |
2020–21 | Indiana | 27 | 27 | 34.1 | .441 | .324 | .744 | 6.8 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 15.4 |
2021–22 | Indiana | 33 | 33 | 36.4 | .460 | .261 | .788 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 16.2 |
2022–23 | Indiana | 24 | 24 | 32.0 | .484 | .407 | .757 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 12.9 |
Career | 148 | 118 | 31.1 | .452 | .306 | .742 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 12.4 |
National team career
Berger represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA AmeriCup. She averaged 6.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, helping her team win the gold medal.[16]
References
- ^ Whitus, Tom (December 7, 2017). "Girls' Basketball: Future Hoosier, Valkyries at Jeff tonight". News and Tribune. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Hauari, Gabe (June 7, 2018). "Sacred Heart's Grace Berger named Courier Journal Kentucky Girls Athlete of the Year". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Frakes, Jason (April 12, 2018). "Kentucky girls basketball All-State: Sacred Heart's Grace Berger". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Beishuizen, Sam (November 14, 2016). "2018 Guard Grace Berger "Couldn't Wait Any Longer" To Commit To Indiana". TheHoosier. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Schumann, Mike (November 6, 2019). "No. 24 Indiana Women's Basketball Looks to Keep Progressing With Deep Roster". The Daily Hoosier. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ Schumann, Mike (May 20, 2020). "Hoosiers Sights: Q&A with first team All-Big Ten IU women's basketball star Grace Berger". The Daily Hoosier. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ Schumann, Mike (November 25, 2020). "Grace Berger records first ever IU women's basketball triple double as Hoosiers cruise in opener". The Daily Hoosier. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ "Berger and Patberg Earn Spots On Wade Watch List". Indiana University Athletics. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Clifford, Charlie (February 22, 2022). "Berger helps propel Indiana women's basketball into a national power". WISH-TV. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Tow, Seth (February 13, 2022). "Ex-Sacred Heart star Grace Berger racks up career-high 29 to lead No. 7 Indiana over MSU". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Schumann, Mike (October 5, 2022). "IU women picked to finish second in Big Ten, Berger and Holmes earn preseason honors". The Daily Hoosier. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Tow, Seth (February 18, 2022). "Big news for IU: Grace Berger to return to Indiana women's basketball". The Herald-Times. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Jordan, Haley (April 10, 2023). "Grace Berger Selected by Indiana Fever in First Round of WNBA Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ "Grace Berger WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
- ^ "Grace Berger College Stats". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ "Grace Berger Wins Gold With USA Basketball At 2021 FIBA Women's AmeriCup". Indiana University Athletics. June 19, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from WNBA.com
and Basketball-Reference.com
- Indiana Hoosiers bio
- USA Basketball bio