Grace Berger's Love for Indiana Fever Dates Back to Childhood
NEW YORK — Monday night, former Hoosier women's basketball guard Grace Berger got her name called by the Indiana Fever in the 2023 WNBA draft, a feeling she couldn't quite explain.
"I didn't really know what it would feel like," Berger said. "I knew it would be amazing, but I think I was just more...just really grateful and full of emotion when I heard my name called, especially being there with my dad, who had been taking me to Indiana Fever games since I was six, seven, eight years old."
Four or five games each season, Berger's father Todd would make the two-hour drive from Louisville, Ky. with a young Berger, who at that time just had a dream. The pair saw greats like Tamika Catchings, Katie Douglas and Briann January win a championship 11 years ago, the only one Indiana has ever won. Catchings was awarded Finals MVP.
"I think I modeled myself off of them, and it was huge and very instrumental in the development of my own game," Berger said.
Eleven years later, Berger was handed a Fever jersey after being selected in the first round of the draft as the No. 7 overall pick, the highest of any former women's basketball Hoosier in program history.
When she began her collegiate career in the cream and crimson, her father and mother Mary Charlotte never missed a game. They traveled all over the nation to watch their daughter chase that dream she developed with her dad watching the Fever.
"I wouldn't be here without them," Berger said.
With a supportive family in the stands, Berger had a decorated collegiate career and ended it on a high note. In her fifth season with Indiana, Berger averaged 12.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
Indiana head coach Teri Moren, another huge source of Berger's support, always called Berger the heart of the team not just cause of her on-court talent but because of her dedication to the program. Moren often got emotional when talking about her impact.
Moren along with her associate head coaches Glenn Box and Rhet Wierzba joined Berger in New York City to cheer her on at the draft.
Indiana women's basketball coach Teri Moren stands alongside her former player Grace Berger at the 2023 WNBA draft in New York City.
IU Athletics
"I mean, it was unbelievable to have her here," Berger said. "She means the world to me. She means so much to me, and I can't even begin to state how much of an impact she's had on obviously the player I am but the person I am, the woman I am to where I feel really prepared entering this next phase of my life because I've had five years under the best coach, the best leader, the best strong woman that I could possibly look up to."
Berger will get a new coach in Christie Sides who will coach her first Fever season this season. General manager Lin Dunn said Sides' commitment to build relationships with players and her emphasis on defense stood out to her in the hiring process.
Clearly, Berger built a strong relationship with Moren, who also puts a huge emphasis on defense. Although Berger will be with a different leader, it seems she has similar traits to Moren.
For now, Berger can celebrate her new WNBA career and reflect on all the times she sat in the stands as that young girl with a dream.
"To get called was surreal but to get called by a team you've been going to with your dad since you were really little I think just made it that much more special," Berger said.
Related stories on NCAA women's basketball
- WHAT GRACE BERGER SAID Former Indiana women's basketball guard Grace Berger was selected in the first round of the 2023 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. Berger addressed the media following the selection. Read her full transcript inside the story. CLICK HERE
- GRACE BERGER SELECTED BY INDIANA FEVER Former Indiana Hoosier guard Grace Berger gets selected by the Indiana Fever in the first round of the 2023 WNBA draft as the highest pick in Hoosier program history. CLICK HERE
- BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2023 WNBA DRAFT The 2023 WNBA draft is slated for Monday, April 10 as plenty of Big Ten players are projected to earn a roster spot early in the draft. Here's a look at Big Ten players to watch and what pick order ESPN predicted them to follow. CLICK HERE
