A Granddaughter's Love -- Grace Berger's Play Honors Grandmother
1/25/2021 10:50:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Not play?
Are you kidding?
There was no way Grace Berger was going to disappoint her grandmother, not in life and certainly not in death.
"I talked about it with my mom," Indiana's 6-foot junior guard says. "She said nothing would make my grandma angrier than me missing a game. At that point, I was going to do anything I could to not miss a game and not be with my team."
The result -- days after her grandmother's Jan. 1 passing, Berger made Hoosier women's basketball history.
Hold that thought.
Voncille McGovern Smith -- known as Voncy -- was a force of nature in so many ways during her 93 life-lived-full years. She was strong of opinion and committed to family, and there was plenty of family around with a husband, three daughters, nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren (with two more on the way).
She died days before IU faced a key early Big Ten road swing to No. 12 Maryland and Penn State.
The Hoosiers split those games, losing an 84-80 thriller to the Terrapins, then beating the Lady Lions with Berger doing what no men's or women's basketball player had ever done.
Hold that thought, as well.
Voncy was a huge IU fan decades before her granddaughter was born. Basketball topped the list, but pretty much anything that involved the Cream 'n Crimson stirred her passion, with one over-riding reality:
Bother her during a game at your own risk.
"You could barely talk to her because she was so invested," Berger says.
Investment soared when her granddaughter played for the Hoosiers.
"I heard from other people she was more invested when I was playing, which was hard to believe," Berger says. "She was so passionate about Indiana. It was something we bonded over and shared while I was growing up."
Voncy had lots of ideas on how the Hoosiers should play in general, and what Berger should do in particular.
"She was a big yeller, especially for my games. She always had an opinion. She always made sure she talked to me after the game on things I could do better."
Players get plenty of this from their coaches. They don't necessarily want it from family, but in this case, telling Voncy to keep quiet was not an option. Berger listened and, occasionally, learned.
"She knew what she was talking about. She watched a lot of basketball, so I appreciated her opinion."
She pauses.
"I don't know if it was always 100 percent accurate, but I didn't want to disagree with her, so I just nodded and acted like I agreed with everything she said."
Over the years Voncy's New Albany, Indiana, home had been a mecca of sorts for family and friends, helped by the fact she and husband Robert had a pool and that Voncy made twice-baked potatoes to die for.
"Growing up, we would always go to her house to watch games," Berger says. "She had a pool, so I made sure to bring friends. All my friends knew her. We had a good time."
And a good meal.
"We always looked forward to dinner. She had her own recipe for twice-baked potatoes. They were super good."
Such memories will last a life time. So, too, will what Berger did in what looms as the ultimate way to honor her grandmother.
In the immediate aftermath of Voncy's death, Berger approached coach Teri Moren, a family-comes-first leader.
"When it first happened, basketball takes a back seat," Berger says. "I went to Coach Moren. Her focus was how she could get me home. I was very appreciative of that. It was never about whether I'd miss a game or practice. It was about getting me home to my family."
Berger got family time without missing a team beat. She went to Maryland and totaled a career-high 26 points, plus seven assists, in a tough loss.
With the game at Penn State three days later and school not in session, IU stayed out east. Berger flew back to Indiana to attend the funeral, then flew back to rejoin the team at State College.
"I was only gone for 24 hours," she says, "but it felt like a week. My teammates embraced me and comforted me and showed how excited they were that I was back, that they had my back. It meant a lot."
And then it really got good.
*****
Berger had no clue.
How could she? She was focused on the Penn State game plan, on all the responsibilities that come with winning -- offense, defense, rebounding, switching and scouting reports. On being so tuned in to what needed to be done that numbers had no relevance.
A triple double?
It wasn't on the radar.
"I had no idea," Berger says.
Teammates and coaches knew. As the points (15), assists (12) and rebounds (nine) added up, history was coming close to repeating itself.
Senior Jaelynn Penn, no stranger to big-time performances given her 1,200-point college career scorer status, took a fourth-quarter moment to let Berger know.
"She told me I was close," Berger says. "I had no idea what she was talking about. She said you need one more rebound for a triple. I was like, 'Cool,' but I was still focused on winning."
Triple doubles are rare at any level. No IU woman had ever done it until Berger, in the season opener, went for 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Eastern Kentucky.
But this was under the Big Ten spotlight and on the road, with the memory of her grandmother's death raw, with emotion and fatigue factors amid a whirlwind run that would have broken all but the most resilient.
So there she was, driving the Hoosiers to a bounce-back victory.
"I was not thinking about getting one more rebound, but the ball came to me and I got it."
When reflecting on that moment, becoming the first Indiana player to total two triple doubles, Berger skipped hyperbole for typical understatement.
"It was pretty cool that it happened for the second time."
*****
Berger -- an All-Big Ten performer on the court and in the classroom -- is in the midst of the best season of her career. She's IU assist leader (72) and is second in scoring (15.3 points) and rebounding (6.2).
She pushes for consistent excellence so that dominant play is the norm and not the exception.
"I'm never satisfied with my play. I'm hard on myself. I've gotten better at being more consistent in other areas, so that when I'm not shooting well, I can still do other things -- setting up teammates, getting rebounds, being a defensive presence.
"In terms of being at my best every game, I still have a long way to go."
Does Berger consider herself a scorer or a playmaker?
"It depends on how the game is going," she says. "If my team needs scoring, I'm always willing to step up. I can be a scorer, but if I'm not feeling it as much or if my teammates are hot, my mindset transitions to being a playmaker. It depends on the flow of the game."
She mostly leads by deed rather than word.
"I'll never be a huge loud vocal leader on the court. I have more individual, one-on-one relationships. I'm able to lead in that way rather than being overwhelming and loud on the court."
When she needs a break, she turns to her dogs, Charlie, a golden doodle, and Jazzy, a maltese.
"I love animals," she says. "They're one of my passions."
Berger's development from freshman reserve (5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists) to All-America candidate didn't happen in isolation. Yes, she was a five-star prospect coming out of Louisville's Sacred Heart High School, but recruiting ratings guarantee nothing. Effort, dedication and good coaching are all factors, and Berger has benefitted from the direction provided by associate head coach Glenn Box, whose guard work has helped produce such outstanding Hoosiers as current teammates Penn and Ali Patberg, plus ex-standouts Tyra Buss and Alexis Gassion.
"The big thing with Coach Box," Berger says, "is even when I wasn't very good my freshman year, he still believed in me. He told me I could be one of the best players in the Big Ten, and I wasn't even close to being one of the best freshmen.
"His belief in me, whether I'm playing horribly or great. His consistency with that means a lot."
Belief comes from extra time on the court and in the film room.
"He spends a lot time with me in the gym," Berger says. "He watches a lot of film. He breaks down my game, puts me through workouts where it's kind of impossible not to get better.
"He pushes me so much. He means a lot to me. He's a big part of my success these last few years."
Berger's success mirrors that of the No. 16 Hoosiers, who are 8-3 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten, and aiming for a fifth straight 20-win season.
"We're very optimistic," she says. "We're not where we need to be. We're nowhere near of what we're capable of being. That's exciting because we still have two months before the postseason.
"We love being in the gym, embracing getting better. We're not dwelling on the losses. We have a bigger end goal in sight."
Covid-19 outbreaks in the Rutgers and Michigan State programs caused those games to be postponed, resulting in a 10-day gap between a win over rival Purdue and Sunday's game at Northwestern.
It was not, Berger says, a wanted break.
"We want to be playing games. We had such a long off-season. That was hard. We have such long breaks between games.
"We knew it would be a weird season. There's nothing you could do about it. We've practiced every day. It's given us an opportunity to get better. We've embraced that.
"We still have our (championship) goal in sight."
Voncy couldn't have said it any better.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Not play?
Are you kidding?
There was no way Grace Berger was going to disappoint her grandmother, not in life and certainly not in death.
"I talked about it with my mom," Indiana's 6-foot junior guard says. "She said nothing would make my grandma angrier than me missing a game. At that point, I was going to do anything I could to not miss a game and not be with my team."
The result -- days after her grandmother's Jan. 1 passing, Berger made Hoosier women's basketball history.
Hold that thought.
Voncille McGovern Smith -- known as Voncy -- was a force of nature in so many ways during her 93 life-lived-full years. She was strong of opinion and committed to family, and there was plenty of family around with a husband, three daughters, nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren (with two more on the way).
She died days before IU faced a key early Big Ten road swing to No. 12 Maryland and Penn State.
The Hoosiers split those games, losing an 84-80 thriller to the Terrapins, then beating the Lady Lions with Berger doing what no men's or women's basketball player had ever done.
Hold that thought, as well.
Voncy was a huge IU fan decades before her granddaughter was born. Basketball topped the list, but pretty much anything that involved the Cream 'n Crimson stirred her passion, with one over-riding reality:
Bother her during a game at your own risk.
"You could barely talk to her because she was so invested," Berger says.
Investment soared when her granddaughter played for the Hoosiers.
"I heard from other people she was more invested when I was playing, which was hard to believe," Berger says. "She was so passionate about Indiana. It was something we bonded over and shared while I was growing up."
Voncy had lots of ideas on how the Hoosiers should play in general, and what Berger should do in particular.
"She was a big yeller, especially for my games. She always had an opinion. She always made sure she talked to me after the game on things I could do better."
Players get plenty of this from their coaches. They don't necessarily want it from family, but in this case, telling Voncy to keep quiet was not an option. Berger listened and, occasionally, learned.
"She knew what she was talking about. She watched a lot of basketball, so I appreciated her opinion."
She pauses.
"I don't know if it was always 100 percent accurate, but I didn't want to disagree with her, so I just nodded and acted like I agreed with everything she said."
Over the years Voncy's New Albany, Indiana, home had been a mecca of sorts for family and friends, helped by the fact she and husband Robert had a pool and that Voncy made twice-baked potatoes to die for.
"Growing up, we would always go to her house to watch games," Berger says. "She had a pool, so I made sure to bring friends. All my friends knew her. We had a good time."
And a good meal.
"We always looked forward to dinner. She had her own recipe for twice-baked potatoes. They were super good."
Such memories will last a life time. So, too, will what Berger did in what looms as the ultimate way to honor her grandmother.
In the immediate aftermath of Voncy's death, Berger approached coach Teri Moren, a family-comes-first leader.
"When it first happened, basketball takes a back seat," Berger says. "I went to Coach Moren. Her focus was how she could get me home. I was very appreciative of that. It was never about whether I'd miss a game or practice. It was about getting me home to my family."
Berger got family time without missing a team beat. She went to Maryland and totaled a career-high 26 points, plus seven assists, in a tough loss.
With the game at Penn State three days later and school not in session, IU stayed out east. Berger flew back to Indiana to attend the funeral, then flew back to rejoin the team at State College.
"I was only gone for 24 hours," she says, "but it felt like a week. My teammates embraced me and comforted me and showed how excited they were that I was back, that they had my back. It meant a lot."
And then it really got good.
*****
Berger had no clue.
How could she? She was focused on the Penn State game plan, on all the responsibilities that come with winning -- offense, defense, rebounding, switching and scouting reports. On being so tuned in to what needed to be done that numbers had no relevance.
A triple double?
It wasn't on the radar.
"I had no idea," Berger says.
Teammates and coaches knew. As the points (15), assists (12) and rebounds (nine) added up, history was coming close to repeating itself.
Senior Jaelynn Penn, no stranger to big-time performances given her 1,200-point college career scorer status, took a fourth-quarter moment to let Berger know.
"She told me I was close," Berger says. "I had no idea what she was talking about. She said you need one more rebound for a triple. I was like, 'Cool,' but I was still focused on winning."
Triple doubles are rare at any level. No IU woman had ever done it until Berger, in the season opener, went for 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Eastern Kentucky.
But this was under the Big Ten spotlight and on the road, with the memory of her grandmother's death raw, with emotion and fatigue factors amid a whirlwind run that would have broken all but the most resilient.
So there she was, driving the Hoosiers to a bounce-back victory.
"I was not thinking about getting one more rebound, but the ball came to me and I got it."
When reflecting on that moment, becoming the first Indiana player to total two triple doubles, Berger skipped hyperbole for typical understatement.
"It was pretty cool that it happened for the second time."
*****
Berger -- an All-Big Ten performer on the court and in the classroom -- is in the midst of the best season of her career. She's IU assist leader (72) and is second in scoring (15.3 points) and rebounding (6.2).
She pushes for consistent excellence so that dominant play is the norm and not the exception.
"I'm never satisfied with my play. I'm hard on myself. I've gotten better at being more consistent in other areas, so that when I'm not shooting well, I can still do other things -- setting up teammates, getting rebounds, being a defensive presence.
"In terms of being at my best every game, I still have a long way to go."
Does Berger consider herself a scorer or a playmaker?
"It depends on how the game is going," she says. "If my team needs scoring, I'm always willing to step up. I can be a scorer, but if I'm not feeling it as much or if my teammates are hot, my mindset transitions to being a playmaker. It depends on the flow of the game."
She mostly leads by deed rather than word.
"I'll never be a huge loud vocal leader on the court. I have more individual, one-on-one relationships. I'm able to lead in that way rather than being overwhelming and loud on the court."
When she needs a break, she turns to her dogs, Charlie, a golden doodle, and Jazzy, a maltese.
"I love animals," she says. "They're one of my passions."
Berger's development from freshman reserve (5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists) to All-America candidate didn't happen in isolation. Yes, she was a five-star prospect coming out of Louisville's Sacred Heart High School, but recruiting ratings guarantee nothing. Effort, dedication and good coaching are all factors, and Berger has benefitted from the direction provided by associate head coach Glenn Box, whose guard work has helped produce such outstanding Hoosiers as current teammates Penn and Ali Patberg, plus ex-standouts Tyra Buss and Alexis Gassion.
"The big thing with Coach Box," Berger says, "is even when I wasn't very good my freshman year, he still believed in me. He told me I could be one of the best players in the Big Ten, and I wasn't even close to being one of the best freshmen.
"His belief in me, whether I'm playing horribly or great. His consistency with that means a lot."
Belief comes from extra time on the court and in the film room.
"He spends a lot time with me in the gym," Berger says. "He watches a lot of film. He breaks down my game, puts me through workouts where it's kind of impossible not to get better.
"He pushes me so much. He means a lot to me. He's a big part of my success these last few years."
Berger's success mirrors that of the No. 16 Hoosiers, who are 8-3 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten, and aiming for a fifth straight 20-win season.
"We're very optimistic," she says. "We're not where we need to be. We're nowhere near of what we're capable of being. That's exciting because we still have two months before the postseason.
"We love being in the gym, embracing getting better. We're not dwelling on the losses. We have a bigger end goal in sight."
Covid-19 outbreaks in the Rutgers and Michigan State programs caused those games to be postponed, resulting in a 10-day gap between a win over rival Purdue and Sunday's game at Northwestern.
It was not, Berger says, a wanted break.
"We want to be playing games. We had such a long off-season. That was hard. We have such long breaks between games.
"We knew it would be a weird season. There's nothing you could do about it. We've practiced every day. It's given us an opportunity to get better. We've embraced that.
"We still have our (championship) goal in sight."
Voncy couldn't have said it any better.
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballFB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 4 (Illinois)
Wednesday, September 17
FB: Kellan Wyatt Media Availability (9/16/25)
Tuesday, September 16
FB: Mikail Kamara Media Availability (9/16/25)
Tuesday, September 16
FB: Curt Cignetti Media Availability (9/15/25)
Monday, September 15