Morgan Bertsch

Last updated
Morgan Bertsch
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 school Santa Rosa High School
(Santa Rosa, California)
College
WNBA draft 2019: 3rd round, 29th overall pick
Selected by the Dallas Wings
Playing career2019–present
Position Forward
Career history
2019-2020 WBC Sparta&K
2020-2021 Polski-Cukier AZS-UMCS Lublin
2021-2022 Arka Gdynia
2022-2023 Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen
2023 Chicago Sky
2023-2024 Uni Girona CB
2024 Phoenix Mercury
2024 Dallas Wings
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)

Morgan Bertsch (born April 20, 1997) is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. She was drafted by the Dallas Wings in the 2019 WNBA Draft. She played college basketball at UC Davis.

Contents

High school career

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

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]

College statistics

YearTeamGPPointsFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2014–15 UC Davis Redshirted
2015–16 UC Davis 32446.582.000.6725.01.01.01.113.9
2016–17 UC Davis 33520.505.500.7245.21.70.91.715.8
2017–18 UC Davis 35922.560.429.7814.51.51.01.620.1
2018–19 UC Davis 32890.496.479.8326.01.81.21.423.6
Career1322422.531.458.7615.21.51.11.518.3

WNBA career

Dallas Wings

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

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

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 (2024)

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

WNBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames 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

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2023 Chicago 28514.2.456.444.7501.70.70.40.31.14.4
Career1 year, 1 team28514.2.456.444.7501.70.70.40.31.14.4

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2023 Chicago 105.0.000.000.0000.00.00.00.00.00.0
Career1 year, 1 team105.0.000.000.0000.00.00.00.00.00.0

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References

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  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.
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  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.