DAVIS, Calif. — Following a record-setting four-year collegiate career in which she shattered numerous career and single-season marks, UC Davis senior biomedical engineering major
Morgan Bertsch will take her talents to the professional level this summer, selected with the 29th overall pick by the Dallas Wings in the third round of the 2019 WNBA Draft on Wednesday evening.
The all-time leading scorer in the history of both the Aggie men's and women's programs with 2,422 for her career, Bertsch is the first UC Davis player to be selected by a WNBA team and the first Big West Conference student-athlete to be chosen since UC Santa Barbara's Mekia Valentine was a third-round selection (34th overall) by the New York Liberty in 2011.
"
Morgan Bertsch was a top five scorer in the NCAA this season," said Greg Bibb, Dallas President, Chief Executive Officer, and Partner. "She is a four-player with tremendous offensive skill and excellent range. Her length and size will translate well in the WNBA and I'm eager to see her compete in camp."
"I am so incredibly happy for Morgan," Head Coach
Jennifer Gross said. "She worked extremely hard to elevate her game each year that she has been at UC Davis. To see her record-breaking career culminate as a WNBA draft pick is absolutely amazing. I am so proud of her and excited for the next phase of her career."
The 2019 Big West Player of the Year and Tournament Most Valuable Player, Bertsch averaged a conference-best 23.6 points per game while shooting .495 from the field as a senior, setting school single-season records for points (754), scoring average, free throws made (183), and most 20-point games in a season (23), while finishing her career as the holder of 11 different school all-time marks, ranking third on the Big West all-time scoring list, and scoring in double figures in each of her final 67 consecutive games.
A four-time All-Big West selection — including first-team honors in each of her last three seasons — she helped lead UC Davis to Big West regular season titles in each of the last three years, including a 25-7 overall record and 15-1 league mark in 2018-19, laying claim to the conference tournament crown and the program's second NCAA Tournament berth as a Division I program. All told, the Aggies were 97-35 in her four seasons, finishing with three of the top five highest single-season win totals in the history of the program.
Nationally, Bertsch ended her senior campaign ranked No. 4 in the nation in scoring, No. 9 in total points, No. 6 in free throws made, No. 10 in free throw attempts, and No. 7 in field goals made. In addition to her conference-best scoring average, she also led the league in field goals made and free throws made, while ranking third in field goal percentage and fourth in blocked shots.
Entering its fourth WNBA season, Dallas finished 15-19 overall and clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, falling to the Phoenix Mercury in the first round. Under the direction of Head Coach Brian Agler, the Wings open the preseason on May 13 against the Atlanta Dream, followed by games against the Connecticut Sun (May 14), and Indiana Fever (May 19), while the regular season begins on the road on May 24 against Atlanta.
For more information, please visit
https://wings.wnba.com/.
MORGAN BERTSCH NOTABLES
Honors & Awards
• 2019 Big West Conference Player of the Year
• 2019 Big West Conference Tournament MVP
• 2017, 2018, 2019 All-Big West First Team
• 2019 Big West All-Defensive Team
• 2016 All-Big West Second Team
• 2016, 2018 Big West All-Tournament Team
• 2016 Big West All-Freshman Team
• 2016, 2017, 2018 Big West All-Academic Team (2019 team yet to be released)
• Nine-time Big West Player of the Week (12/26/16, 11/13/17, 2/12/18, 11/19/18, 12/10/18, 1/7/19, 1/21/19, 2/11/19, 3/4/19)
• Six-time Big West Player of the Week in 2018-19 (ties conference single-season record)
Single-Game Records
• Points (40 at Sacramento State in 2018-19)
• Field goals made (16 at Sacramento State in 2018-19)
• Field goals attempted (28 three times)
• Free throw percentage in a game (11-11 vs. UC Irvine)
Single-Season Records
• Points (754 as a senior)
• Scoring Average (23.6 as a senior)
• Field Goals Made (305 as a junior)
• Field Goals Attempted (554 as a senior)
• Field Goal Percentage (.582 as a sophomore)
• Free Throws Made (183 as a senior)
• Blocked Shots (57 as a sophomore)
• Most Points as a Sophomore (520)
• Most Points as a Junior (702)
• Most Points as a Senior (754)
• 20-point games in a season (23)
Career Records
• Games Played (132)
• Consecutive Games Played (132)
• Points (2,422 to lead both the men's and women's programs)
• Scoring Average (18.3)
• Field Goals Made (963)
• Field Goals Attempted (1,813)
• Free Throws Made (469)
• Free Throws Attempted (616)
• Blocked Shots (193)
• Blocks Per Game (1.46)
• Career 20-point games (61)
• Ranks tied for 6th on the career rebounds list (682)
• Ranks 4th in career field goal percentage (.531)
• Ranks 8th in career free throw percentage (.761)
• Became the 8th player in the history of the Big West Conference to reach 2,000 career points against UC Riverside (Jan. 5), finishing with 31 points
• Ranks third in Big West Conference history in career scoring (2,422)
• Finished her career scoring in double figures in 67 consecutive games dating back to 2017-18 season
• Led the team in scoring all four years (joining Carol Rische as the only two players in school history to do so)
• Nine career player of the week awards rank tied for seventh on the Big West all-time list
• Her six player of the week awards in 2018-19 ties a conference single-season record
• Became the first Aggie to lead the Big West in scoring as a senior, posting the highest single-season average for a conference leader since Idaho's Emily Faurholt (25.4) in 2003-04
BIG WEST CONFERENCE IN THE WNBA DRAFT
1997 - Anita Maxwell, New Mexico State (4th Round, 29th overall, Cleveland Rockers)
1998 - Erika Kienast, UC Santa Barbara (4th Round, 35th overall, Los Angeles Sparks)
2000 - Stacy Clinesmith, UC Santa Barbara (2nd Round, 30th overall, Sacramento Monarchs)
2001 - Jackie Moore, Long Beach State (2nd Round, 30th overall, Sacramento Monarchs)
2001 - Erin Buescher, UC Santa Barbara (2nd Round, 23rd overall, Minnesota Lynx)
2002 - Kayte Christensen, UC Santa Barbara (3rd Round, 40th overall, Phoenix Mercury)
2004 - Lindsay Taylor, UC Santa Barbara (2nd Round, 26th overall, Houston Comets)
2005 - Kristen Mann, UC Santa Barbara (1st Round, 11th overall, Minnesota Lynx)
2011 - Mekia Valentine, UC Santa Barbara (3rd Round, 34th overall, New York Liberty)
2019 - MORGAN BERTSCH, UC DAVIS (3rd Round, 29th overall, Dallas Wings)
