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DAVIS, Calif. – After just 16 days, the Dallas Wings of the WNBA said goodbye to third-round draft choice Morgan Bertsch.

It doesn't seem that's enough time to assess the prowess of the NCAA's No. 4 scorer, but the Big West Player of the Year from UC Davis learned a bunch in her time in Texas.

Bertsch knew going in that the business of professional basketball is no-nonsense and that the opportunity to dazzle — even if you're a draft selection — is fleeting.

But waived after just 16 days and two practice-game appearances?

"That's pretty standard," explains Bertsch, who graduates June 14 with a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. "The rosters are pretty impacted, there's a lot of talent and there's only 12 roster spots on each team.

"Do the math..." the Santa Rosa native suggests. "With 12 teams, that's 144 women in the entire world playing in the WNBA. It's definitely a very difficult league to get into. ... There's a lot of talent that gets waived every year."

But Bertsch is pragmatic about her stint at Dallas, and she remains very confident about her future:

"Every time you step on the court you have an opportunity. You may not get as much opportunity as you had hoped, but at the end of the day, whatever is presented to you, you have to make do with."

If you've seen Bertsch play — UC Davis' career scoring leader and a gem of an inspiration to teammates — you already know that a couple of missed shots here or there aren't going to stop her.

She's already signed a contract with Spartak of Vidnoje in the Moscow Region of the Russian League. She reports sometime in August.
"Russia. It's where a lot of women's basketball players end up to get that experience," Bertsch told me this week.

UConn's two-time national Player of the Year, Breanna Stewart, and WNBA superstar Brittany Griner both played last year in Bertsch's new league. Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, two of women's biggest names, played for Spartak. Many analysts believe this Russian conference is the toughest in the world.

"It will be a good opportunity for me to grow," says the 6-foot-4 former post player who is in transition on the court.

Bertsch was asked to play small forward at Dallas and expects the same request once she's in the shadow of Red Square.

"I'll gain skill on the perimeter, something I really need to work on," she says. "And then that, hopefully, will translate into a good season ... and give me another opportunity in the WNBA.

"People are watching Russia for the WNBA, so it's going to be great for me to get better and show the WNBA scouts what I'm all about."

Members of Bertsch's new crew include Tennessee's Meighan Simmons and Kentucky's Jennifer O'Neill — both rostered in the WNBA.
The administrators of her new league, Bertsch reports, "definitely set you up — an apartment, transportation — so I'll be living the life."

But Russia? During the winter?

"That's something (friends and family) have brought up a lot," Bertsch says with a laugh. But she's not worried. It's the experience and the chance to further hone her considerable skills.

Bertsch knows that playing overseas will be exciting and life-changing off the court, too.

She's been working on out campus since leaving Dallas. Bertsch will graduate June 14 with a degree in biomedical engineering.

She and former Aggie swingman Pele Gianotti, who played last season in Heidelberg, Germany, have been in constant touch.

"Pele loved her experience and is planning on going back next year," Bertsch relates. "(Russia) is going to be different, for sure. But it will be a huge learning experience. I've never been to Russia before."

(Gianotti, by the way, led her German pro team to a league crown during an 18-1 campaign.)
Final thoughts about Dallas?

"I went into training camp to show what I could do, putting myself in the best spot," Bertsch remembers. "It was an opportunity, in itself, that I wasn't sure I was going to get, so I'm really thankful for that experience.