Indiana Women's Basketball: Teri Moren Hopeful Grace Berger Will Return This Season

On Sunday, Indiana senior guard Grace Berger was seen at the Morehead State game in a brace without crutches. Hoosier head coach Teri Moren said in a post game press conference she is hopeful Berger will return this season and has been doing well rehabbing her right knee.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Back in late November, Indiana's offensive motor Grace Berger went down with a right knee injury in the Las Vegas Invitational.

Within the Hoosiers' third offensive possession, the senior guard hit the ground wincing in pain. Indiana finished the job she started and defeated Auburn 96-81 for their injured star.

The scare even brought Indiana head coach Teri Moren to tears in a post game press conference. When the Hoosiers returned home after the invitational sweep, Berger got an MRI on Sunday and was ruled out indefinitely.

No further details were given after that. Berger was then spotted on the Hoosier sidelines with crutches for a few games until she saw a turn in her recovery.

Indiana's Grace Berger (34) watches her teammates warm up before the Indiana versus Morehead State women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022.

© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

This past Sunday at the Morehead State game, Berger was seen in a brace extending from her upper thigh to lower ankle — but no crutches. She was walking around center court watching her team shoot around before tipoff and then took her place, leg extended on the bench.

"Timetable is going to be completely up to Grace and our docs, but her recovery is going really well," Moren said.

There's no telling when Berger lost the crutches since Moren and staff are keeping her injury pretty private, but it was nice for Hoosier fans to see their star player up walking around.

"She's doing more in practice just in terms of her rehab with ball handling and shooting but not like on the move or anything like that, a lot of stationary shots," Moren said.

If the Hoosiers are 11-0 now, imagine the damage they could do with their best point guard back in the game as their leader. Indiana has one more non-conference opponent in Butler on Wednesday before Big Ten play officially starts on Dec. 29.

Moren said after the Morehead State game she's hopeful the Louisville, Ky. native will be able to return this season. 

"She's in great spirits," Moren said. "She feels really good about the process, her rehab, so we're hopeful that it'll be sooner than later."

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