Wikipedia

Morgan Bertsch

Morgan Bertsch (born April 20, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for Hozono Global Jairis of the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto. She was drafted by the Dallas Wings in the 2019 WNBA Draft. She played college basketball at UC Davis.

Morgan Bertsch
No. 22 – Hozono Global Jairis
PositionForward
LeagueLiga Femenina de Baloncesto
Personal information
Born (1997-04-20) April 20, 1997 (age 27)
Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight173 lb (78 kg)
Career information
High schoolSanta Rosa High School
(Santa Rosa, California)
College
WNBA draft2019: 3rd round, 29th overall pick
Selected by the Dallas Wings
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2020WBC Sparta&K
2020–2021Polski-Cukier AZS-UMCS Lublin
2021–2022Arka Gdynia
2022–2023Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen
2023Chicago Sky
2023–2024Uni Girona CB
2024Phoenix Mercury
2024Dallas Wings
2024–presentHozono Global Jairis
Career highlights and awards
  • Big West Player of the Year (2019)
  • 3× First-team All-Big West (2017–2019)
  • Big West All-Defensive Team (2019)
  • Second-team All-Big West (2016)
  • Big West All-Freshman Team (2016)
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Early life

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Bertsch attended Santa Rosa High School in Santa Rosa, California, where she was a four-year letterwinner on the basketball team.[1] As a junior, she averaged 13.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, earning first-team all-North Bay League honors.[1] As a senior, Bertsch averaged 17.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game and led the Panthers to a 28–5 record.[1] She set school single-season records for points (536), rebounds (336) and blocks (139).[2] Bertsch was named the North Bay League MVP and The Press Democrat All-Empire Player of the Year.[1] She was also an all-state high jumper on the track and field team.[1] Coming out of high school, Bertsch did not play any AAU basketball and UC Davis was the only Division I school to offer her.[3]

College career

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Bertsch played college basketball for the UC Davis Aggies. During her freshman season, she redshirted from the basketball team, but competed for the UC Davis Aggies women's track and field team as a high jumper. Bertsch finished in a tie for fourth at the Big West Conference Championship with a jump of 1.71m (5-07.25 ft).[4] She also competed as a high jumper during her sophomore and junior seasons, finishing fourth and third, respectively at the Big West Championships.[5][6]

During her redshirt-freshman basketball season, Bertsch made an immediate impact for the Aggies. She broke the program record at the Division I level for points as a freshman and ranked second all-time for freshman at UC Davis.[1] She led the team in scoring and became the 6th ever Aggie to be name to the Big West All-Freshman team. She was also named to the All-Big West Second Team during that season.[7]

Bertsch continued her dominance at UC Davis and in the Big West for the next three years. She was named to the Big West First Team for the next three years (2016–2019).[8][9] During her senior season, Bertsch became the all-timer scorer at UC Davis for men or women with 2,422 points and had her name all over the records books.[1] Bertsch tied a conference single-season record in March 2019 for earning a sixth Big West Player of the Week award.[10] She was also named the Big West Player of the Year in 2019.[11]

Professional career

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Dallas Wings (first stint)

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Bertsch was selected in the third round of the 2019 WNBA Draft with the 29th overall pick by the Dallas Wings.[12] In the following years, Bertsch was signed to training camp contracts by the Wings or the Connecticut Sun but was cut before each season.[13][14][15][16][17]

Chicago Sky

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On April 18, 2023, Bertsch signed a training camp contract with the Chicago Sky.[18] Bertsch made it through training camp with the Sky, and was named to the opening day roster for Chicago.[19] She made her first career WNBA start in the Sky's season-opened against the Minnesota Lynx on May 19, 2023. She contributed 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists, as the Sky won.[20] Bertsch suffered an ankle injury during a May game against the Washington Mystics, returning to play in mid-season.[21]

Phoenix Mercury

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On February 6, 2024, Bertsch along with teammate Kahleah Copper were traded to the Phoenix Mercury for Brianna Turner, Michaela Onyenwere, a 2024 first-round-pick, 2025 second-round-pick, 2026 first-round-pick and a 2026 pick swap.[22] Bertsch's tenure in Phoenix lasted twelve games into the 2024 season before she was waived on June 10, 2024.[23]

Dallas Wings (second stint)

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On June 19, 2024, Bertsch signed a hardship contract with the Wings.[24] She played in three games for the Wings before being released from her hardship contract on June 25, 2024.[25]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

WNBA

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Regular season

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Stats current through end of 2024 season

WNBA regular season statistics[26]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2019 Did not play (waived)
2020
2021
2022
2023 Chicago 28 5 14.2 .456 .444 .750 1.7 0.7 0.4 0.3 1.1 4.4
2024 Phoenix 8 0 9.8 .222 .143 .875 1.5 0.3 0.0 0.1 1.1 2.6
Dallas 3 0 7.3 .000 .000 .500 1.7 0.0 0.3 0.0 1.3 0.3
Career 2 years, 3 teams 39 5 12.8 .398 .353 .769 1.6 0.5 0.3 0.2 1.1 3.7

Playoffs

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WNBA playoff statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2023 Chicago 1 0 5.0 .000 .000 — 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Career 1 year, 1 team 1 0 5.0 .000 .000 — 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

College

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NCAA statistics[27]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2014–15 UC Davis Did not play due to injury
2015–16 UC Davis 32 26 24.8 .582 .000 .672 5.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 2.8 13.9
2016–17 UC Davis 33 33 25.9 .505 .500 .724 5.2 1.7 0.9 1.7 2.6 15.8
2017–18 UC Davis 35 35 26.3 .560 .429 .781 4.5 1.5 1.0 1.6 2.6 20.1
2018–19 UC Davis 32 32 27.8 .496 .479 .832 6.0 1.8 1.2 1.4 2.5 23.6
Career 132 126 26.2 .531 .458 .761 5.2 1.5 1.1 1.5 2.6 18.3

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Morgan Bertsch". ucdavisaggies.com. UC Davis Athletics. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  2. ^ Carter, Lori A. (January 2, 2016). "Morgan Bertsch carving out big role for UC Davis basketball". The Press Democrat. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  3. ^ Yapkowitz, David. "Morgan Bertsch: UC Davis' Greatest". highposthoops.com. High Post Hoops. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Event 33 Women High Jump". flashwest.com. Flashwest. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  5. ^ "2016 Big West Conference Championships - 5/6/2016 to 5/14/2016". finishedresults.com. Finished Results. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  6. ^ "2017 Big West Championships Results" (PDF). bigwest.org. Big West Conference. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  7. ^ "2015-16 WBB Final Release" (PDF). bigwest.org. The Big West. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  8. ^ "2016-17 Women's Basketball All-Conference Awards" (PDF). bigwest.org. The Big West. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  9. ^ "2017-18 Women's Basketball All Conference Awards" (PDF). bigwest.org. The Big West. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Bertsch Equals Big West Standard with Sixth Player of the Week Honor". bigwest.org. The Big West. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  11. ^ Benefiled, Kerry. "Empire notes: Santa Rosa grad Morgan Bertsch wins top Big West honors". pressdemocrat.com. The Press Democrat. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  12. ^ "UCD's Bertsch Selected In WNBA Draft". bigwest.org. The Big West. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  13. ^ Hopkins, Christine M. "Tracking the pro careers of six 2018-19 NCAAW stars". thenexthoops.com. The Next. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Bertsch inks contract with WNBA's Dallas Wings". ucdavisaggies.com. UC Davis. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Wings Waive Morgan Bertsch". wings.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Dallas Wings Sign Morgan Bertsch and Unique Thompson". wings.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Dallas Wings Waive Morgan Bertsch". wings.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  18. ^ "Chicago Sky Signs Morgan Bertsch to Training Camp Contract". sky.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Morgan Bertsch Named to Chicago Sky Roster". ucdavisaggies.com. UC Davis. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Boxscore -Sky vs. Lynx". wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  21. ^ Costabile, Annie. "Small ball could work for Sky if injuries create extended absences". chicago.suntimes.com. Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  22. ^ "PHOENIX MERCURY ACQUIRES ALL-STAR AND WNBA CHAMPION KAHLEAH COPPER AND FORWARD MORGAN BERTSCH IN TRADE WITH CHICAGO SKY".
  23. ^ LaCertosa, Justin (June 10, 2024). "Morgan Bertsch waived by Phoenix Mercury, according to WNBA transactions page". burncitysports.com. Burn City Sports. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  24. ^ "Maddy Siegrist Suffers Broken Finger – Dallas Wings". wings.wnba.com. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  25. ^ "Dallas Wings Sign Odyssey Sims". wings.wnba.com. WNBA. June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  26. ^ "Morgan Bertsch WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
  27. ^ "Morgan Bertsch College Stats". Sports Reference.
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