How Grace Berger maintains confidence in a "cutthroat" WNBA

In the past 12 months, Sydney Flames recruit Grace Berger has experienced a unique professional basketball journey - moving through four different WNBA teams before finding her place with the Dallas Wings earlier this month.

For Berger, it’s been a season of growth, adaptability and persistence, with resilience shaping her path every step of the way.

After graduating from Indiana University as a top WNBA prospect, Berger was drafted by the Indiana Fever in 2023 with the seventh overall pick – a fairytale transition from college to the pros.

But the life of a professional athlete is rarely a straight line.

When the Fever waived her in February, Berger’s journey took on a new dimension. Over the months that followed, she suited up with the Minnesota Lynx, the Los Angeles Sparks, and eventually the Dallas Wings - where multiple short-term opportunities evolved into a full-season contract.

In Dallas, she thrived. Starting alongside first overall pick Paige Bueckers, Berger has proved herself as a steadying force, orchestrating the offence during Bueckers’ historic 44-point performance just last week.

“[She’s] Exactly what you’d hope — another ball handler out there keeping us organised with a good feel for generating tempo and getting the ball where it needs to go,” Wings Head Coach Chris Kilcanes said.

“Whether that’s quickly moving it or using the dribble first, they’ve developed good synergy.”

Berger's confidence has shone through. In the past seven games, she has started consistently averaging 3.6 points and three assists in just over 20 minutes per game - numbers that reflect her growing confidence and trust within the Wings’ system.

Related: How an Opals Olympian helped Grace Berger choose the WNBL

Speaking with WNBL Media in July, the soon-to-be Flames scorer admitted the professional landscape is demanding and it can be a challenge to maintain a positive mindset in the business side of being a professional athlete.

“It’s cutthroat for a reason, the best in the world play in the WNBA,” she said.

“As much as it hurts and is unfortunate in the moment to get cut from a team, to get moved to different teams, to move around the country, it isn't ideal. But any opportunity I get is one that I'm super grateful for to play against the best in the world.

“And I know that if I keep doing what I'm doing, eventually I'm going to find my spot and stick somewhere and find my home.”

Her philosophy is simple: focus on what can be controlled, and never lose sight of self-belief.

“I think that's just adjusting to being a professional athlete, learning to play with different people, learning to play in different cities, learning to go across the world and play,” she said.

“Trying to control what I can control. My confidence is one of those things, believing in myself no matter what the outside circumstances might be.”

That mindset will serve her well as she heads to Australia for her second overseas campaign. Last year, Berger gained international experience in Turkey alongside Opal Zitina Aokuso. Now, she’s ready to embrace her next challenge with the Sydney Flames.

If her WNBA career has taught her anything, it’s to “pack lightly”, with another seventh-month stay ahead of her in Sydney – Berger is ready to take on the WNBL.

“I have a suitcase full of things that I’ve been living out of for what seems like the past three years since I've been a professional. Things can change at any second, you might have to pack up and move across the country,” she said.

“You can't depend on outside circumstances to determine your confidence, what you think of yourself, your mindset going into the game, how you approach the game has to stay consistent and then the rest will hopefully eventually take care of itself…

"There are some of the best players in the world who go over there and play, then they come back to the WNBA and can see the evidence of them getting better by playing in that league, playing against those players, learning from Australian coaches… They all tell me once I go to Australia, I'm not going to want to come back.”

The Sydney Flames’ season starts on October 18th, against the Geelong Venom. Sign up for the WNBL newsletter below to stay up-to-date with all the latest news and information.

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