Freshman Feature: Grace Berg
10/5/2018 9:31:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Freshman forward credits her mom for her love of basketball
Grace Berg is not your average freshman forward. The Indianola, Iowa, native considers herself to be a "do-it-all" wing who can provide explosive scoring and tenacious defense at any position on the floor.
"I feel I'm a pretty versatile player," Berg said. "I'm at the height where if I have a big post on me, I can go right by her with my quickness. If there's a smaller guard on me, I can post her up with my size."
Berg's dynamic playmaking ability played a vital role in her astonishing high school career at Indianola High School. After scoring 1,276 points and recording 575 rebounds and 184 steals through her junior year, Berg was ranked as the No. 37 recruit in the nation by the time she entered her senior campaign.
With recruitment attention from a plethora of programs across the country, Berg eventually narrowed down her collegiate options to Drake, Iowa, Michigan State and Mizzou.
She signed with the Tigers prior to the start of her final high school season, calling Mizzou her "second home" after several visits to Columbia in previous years.
"I just had that gut feeling—everything just clicked and I knew Mizzou was the place for me," Berg said. "This team's family atmosphere was so appealing and Coach P is a mother figure to all of us. She's the glue to this team."
Berg credits her mother, Michel, with igniting her love for the game of basketball. A former collegiate basketball player herself, Michel Berg was a standout talent at Coe College in Iowa. Grace wants to follow in her mother's footsteps, making her mom proud as she begins a collegiate career of her own.
"That's the reason I wear No. 43, because of my mom," Berg said. "She's given me all sorts of opportunities to travel across the country and play this sport. We're so close and I love her so much—she just means a lot to me."
Armed with her scoring prowess, high basketball IQ and her Mizzou women's basketball family supporting her, Berg is entering the upcoming season with an abundance of confidence and determination.
"I'm going to push myself to be the best I can be to help this team as best I can," she said.
"Not only do I want us to be SEC champions, I want us to be national champions, too."
