January 18, 2024
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Indiana Fever’s Grace Berger is everywhere
By The Next
If you live in Indiana, you might see Berger at a high school game this month
In the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, Howard Megdal interviews Indiana Fever guard Grace Berger. They talk about Berger’s rookie season in the WNBA, her alma mater Indiana and the Big Ten, and much more.
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Berger discusses her adjustment to the WNBA and what she’ll keep working on in her second season:
“I definitely think being a point guard is the most difficult position in terms of guard positions in the WNBA, just because you’re being pressured full court, you have to call a play, you have to hear what Coach wants and execute it, [and you have to] get people where they need to be. So that’s something I definitely want to work on. I enjoy having the ball on my hands; I always have. … But I think at the pro level, it’s just a next step.
“So that’s something that I worked on continuously last season, I’m going to continue to work on in the offseason, [and I’ll] continue to focus on going into next season. And I think a big part of that for me is just off the court and on the court being more vocal. Obviously, I’m shy, I’m introverted. But I think I know what to say, especially going into my second year. I have a year under my belt, a year of playing under Coach Christie [Sides] and playing with Aliyah [Boston], playing with NaLyssa [Smith], playing with Kelsey [Mitchell], knowing where they like the ball, knowing what they want to get to, knowing what calls to make in certain situations. So … I feel like I’ve already taken steps in the right direction.”
Related reading: 2024 WNBA free agency preview: Indiana Fever
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This offseason, Berger’s activities include participating in knockout tournaments in high school gyms across her home state of Indiana ahead of the NBA All-Star Game in February. She tells Megdal about what it means for her to be involved in the buildup to the NBA All-Star Game:
“It’s awesome for me personally. Obviously, I’m just a basketball junkie in general; I love basketball, all things basketball. So the NBA is … one of the highest levels of that, along with the WNBA. So any time I could be around that and just watch those superstars, how they handle themselves up close and personal, and then kind of get to learn from them by just watching them and just be around greatness, I think it’s super fun for me.
“And then obviously, I kind of have a history here in Indiana. I love the community. They’ve been so great to me. So now to be kind of on the side where I can give back and interact with them, get to meet them in places I might not have been before, it’s super special, super fun. And I’m really just grateful for the opportunity.”
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