Indiana University Athletics
Berger and Patberg Named 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award Candidates
12/7/2021 1:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Guard Ali Patberg and Grace Berger have been named two of 30 candidates for the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award. Indiana is just one of two schools nationally to have multiple candidates on the list, joining UConn who places three on the list.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Berger and Patberg have the Indiana Hoosiers off to a 6-0 start and No. 10 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 this week. They are the team's second and third leading scorers respectively, with Patberg averaging 13.5 points per game while Berger adds 12.9 points per outing. During their last four seasons, the duo has combined to help Indiana appear in two NCAA Tournaments, five All-Big Ten honors and three All-American nods. Each are graduates of Indiana University (Patberg in finance and Berger in sports marketing and management) and are currently pursuing their master's degree at the university in recreational administration.
A Louisville, Ky. native, Berger was named a 2021-22 preseason All-Big Ten honoree, a two-time All-Big Ten First team award and WBCA and USWBA All-American honorable mention during her career at IU. She became the 29th member of the 1,000-point club this season and currently ranks 25th all-time with 1,099 career points.
Patberg, who is in her seventh and final year of college basketball, repeats as a Senior CLASS Award candidate after receiving an extra year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She too joins Berger in the 1,000- point club at IU, as she ranks 13th in school history with 1,476 points scored. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, the Columbus, Ind. native also earned WBCA All-American honorable mention honors.
The duo has also dedicated their collegiate careers to serving others and the community in a variety of ways. They have spent each season with the program's Candy Stripe Crew, a basketball camp put on for developmentally disabled children and adults through the Special Olympics. In addition, some of their other service activities have included Habitat for Humanity Build, Camp Riley Hoosiers Outrun Cancer, Salvation Army Kettlebell Kick-Off, Fairview Hoosier Readers, Fairview recess buddies and Read Across America.
The men's and women's candidates will be narrowed to two fields of ten finalists later in the season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will then select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2022 NCAA Men's Final Four® and NCAA Women's Final Four® this spring.
For more information on the candidates, please visit www.seniorclassaward.com
Follow Indiana Women's Basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
#GoIU
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Berger and Patberg have the Indiana Hoosiers off to a 6-0 start and No. 10 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 this week. They are the team's second and third leading scorers respectively, with Patberg averaging 13.5 points per game while Berger adds 12.9 points per outing. During their last four seasons, the duo has combined to help Indiana appear in two NCAA Tournaments, five All-Big Ten honors and three All-American nods. Each are graduates of Indiana University (Patberg in finance and Berger in sports marketing and management) and are currently pursuing their master's degree at the university in recreational administration.
A Louisville, Ky. native, Berger was named a 2021-22 preseason All-Big Ten honoree, a two-time All-Big Ten First team award and WBCA and USWBA All-American honorable mention during her career at IU. She became the 29th member of the 1,000-point club this season and currently ranks 25th all-time with 1,099 career points.
Patberg, who is in her seventh and final year of college basketball, repeats as a Senior CLASS Award candidate after receiving an extra year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She too joins Berger in the 1,000- point club at IU, as she ranks 13th in school history with 1,476 points scored. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, the Columbus, Ind. native also earned WBCA All-American honorable mention honors.
The duo has also dedicated their collegiate careers to serving others and the community in a variety of ways. They have spent each season with the program's Candy Stripe Crew, a basketball camp put on for developmentally disabled children and adults through the Special Olympics. In addition, some of their other service activities have included Habitat for Humanity Build, Camp Riley Hoosiers Outrun Cancer, Salvation Army Kettlebell Kick-Off, Fairview Hoosier Readers, Fairview recess buddies and Read Across America.
The men's and women's candidates will be narrowed to two fields of ten finalists later in the season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will then select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2022 NCAA Men's Final Four® and NCAA Women's Final Four® this spring.
For more information on the candidates, please visit www.seniorclassaward.com
Follow Indiana Women's Basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
#GoIU
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballDarian DeVries Pregame Press Conference
Tuesday, November 04
FB: Week 10 (at Maryland) - Curt Cignetti Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 02
FB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 10 (at Maryland)
Wednesday, October 29
FB: Devan Boykin Media Availability (10/28/25)
Tuesday, October 28