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Grace Berger Scores 14 Points for Fever, Finishes Game as Team's Third Leading Scorer

Grace Berger scored 14 points for the Indiana Fever on Tuesday in the team's loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, her second highest scoring total from any game during her rookie season thus far. Berger previously starred at Indiana on the women's basketball team playing for coach Teri Moren.

Daniel Olinger

Grace Berger Scores 14 Points for Fever, Finishes Game as Team's Third Leading Scorer
Grace Berger Scores 14 Points for Fever, Finishes Game as Team's Third Leading Scorer /
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The Indiana Fever haven't had a whole lot of things to celebrate during the 2023 season, but the continued improvement from Grace Berger is one of them.

The rookie guard scored 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting in the Fever's 87-80 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday. It's the second most points Berger has scored in any game during her WNBA rookie season, and unlike her career best 15-point performance, her shooting efficiency was much improved in this outing. 

After hardly ever seeing the court during the first half of the Fever's season, Berger has averaged 18 minutes played per night during the last 10 games. During that same 10-game stretch, she has reached double digit scoring three times and has scored a total of 60 points on 23-for-52 shooting (44.2 FG%). 

In Tuesday's game, Berger's 14 points were the third most scored by any Fever player. Only Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, who scored 21 and 18 points, respectively, outpaced her. Berger played 22 minutes total in the game, the fourth most of any player on the Fever's roster.

The loss to the Sparks dropped the Fever to the absolute bottom of the WNBA's 12-team standings with a record of 7-22. Should the team continue to drop games, it's possible that they land the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft for the second year in a row. The Fever used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft on Boston, who was named in all star starter at center midway through her rookie season.

Whichever team picks first in 2024, it's almost assured that Iowa's Caitlin Clark will be the selection. The Hawkeyes and the Hoosiers faced off against each other twice last season, each taking a win at home. Berger scored 26 points in Indiana's home win against Iowa, and 16 points in the Hoosiers' one-point loss on the road, while Clark scored 35 and 34 points in each of those games. 

Berger and the Fever play their next game on Thursday at home against the Minnesota Lynx, one of the hottest teams in the WNBA. The Lynx also feature another former Big Ten star in Maryland's Diamond Miller. 

The game can be watched on Amazon Prime Video, Bally Sports Indiana or watched after its conclusion on WNBA League Pass. 

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  • SCALIA INJURED IN IU WIN: The Indiana women's basketball won 101-36 over the Patras All Stars in Greece, but near the end of the game, senior guard Sara Scalia had to exit the game with an apparent injury. CLICK HERE
  • LAMENDOLA MIGHT BE ANOTHER IU BASKETBALL STAR: In the team's first game of their foreign tour in Greece, Teri Moren's Indiana Hoosiers won 120-50, and freshman Julianna LaMendola looked like an absolute star. Here are some quick highlights from the newcomers' 15-point performance. CLICK HERE
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Daniel Olinger
DANIEL OLINGER

Daniel Olinger is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation reporter for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in both journalism and economics. 

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