What Former Hoosier Grace Berger Said After First WNBA Game With the Indiana Fever
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Fever guard Grace Berger didn't start or play in the first regular season WNBA game, but the former Hoosier was still hyping up her teammates and putting in extra work in warmups and even after the game like her former coach Teri Moren taught her.
The Fever made a fierce comeback in the second half but ultimately fell to the Connecticut Sun 70-61 in Gainbridge Fieldhouse Friday night.
Read Berger's full transcript, or just watch the attached video of her entire postgame interview.
—On learning from veteran players...
BERGER: "It's a dream come true. This is the highest you can get in this sport, so just being on the team, being able to learn from great players like Kelsey Mitchell, Erica Wheeler, see them up close in person and get to know them and get to learn from them, it's really special."
—On the Hoosier fans that came to support Berger...
BERGER: "I hope they keep coming back to support our team because I think we have a lot of really exciting players, and I'm glad that IU and my roots from that got them in the stands, and hopefully they saw how much potential our team has and they keep coming back."
—On putting up 350-400 extra shots in the gym...
BERGER: "I think that's just something that's always been in me. It was really instilled in me at IU with Coach Moren. As we all know getting in extra work is just a habit that you build if you played with Coach Moren, so that stays with me here just to get ready whenever my number is called down the road."
—On the new reserved seating for Indiana women's basketball...
BERGER: "I think that's long overdue. To see us kind of hopefully one day catch up to the men's game and their ticket sales and how valued those tickets are, hopefully we're on our way to that and just keep building, so it's definitely special to see."
—On if her former teammates will come to Fever games...
BERGER: "They're all home right now for the month of May, but in June I'm sure they'll all be up here supporting me. They're my best friends off the court, so they'll be up here for sure."
—On the difference between college and the WNBA...
BERGER: "Yeah, it's just a different level of athlete. Bigger, stronger, faster than the college level. Like I said earlier, they're the best athletes in the world at this sport, so I think it's an adjustment coming from college but something that I see myself belonging in down the road for sure."
—On sitting the bench...
BERGER: "I don't think it's tough. I've been in this position before playing with USA Basketball, maybe earlier in my career at IU. I've been fortunate enough to have experiences on both sides of it, and I think my mentality stays the same, just getting ready when my number is called, 35 minutes or three minutes."
—On if Coach Teri Moren talked to Berger before the game...
"Yeah, she's been texting me. She's recruiting right now, but she'll be up here very soon I'm sure."
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