Tuesday, November 4
East Lansing, Mich.
6:30 PM
Michigan State University
vs
Mercyhurst
No. 23 Spartan Women's Basketball Opens Season Hosting Mercyhurst Tuesday
11/3/2025 12:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
This is the first meeting between the teams.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 23 Michigan State women's basketball open's the 2025-26 season against Mercyhurst on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. The third season of the Robyn Fralick era begins Tuesday in the Breslin Center. MSU ended last season with a 22-10 record reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Jordan Cyprian and Will Szczesny will be on the call for B1G+.
• This is the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Mercyhurst. Last season, Mercyhurst went 9-18 overall and 6-10 in the NEC. Erin Mills-Reid takes over the reigns for the Lakers this season.
• Michigan State fans will have ample opportunities to see the Spartans in the month of November. MSU will start the season with six-straight home games.
• The Spartans return a pair of all conference honorees. Senior forward Grace VanSlooten was named to the second team by both the coaches and the media. Senior guard Theryn Hallock was named honorable mention by both the coaches and the media.
• MSU will have at least 13 games nationally televised on either the BTN, FS1 or Peacock. MSU will also have 12 regular-season contests aired on Big Ten Plus.
SCOUTING MERCYHURST
Mercyhurst ended the 2024-25 season with 9-18 record overall and a 6-10 record in the NEC. The Lakers lost their last four games of the season. Last season was Mercyhurst's first season in Division I.
Senior guard Jenna Van Schaik was named to the Preseason All-NEC. The Lakers were picked to finish sixth out of 10 teams in the NEC. Last season, she averaged 13.6 points along with 3.0 assists per game. CiCi Hernandez is also back for the Lakers. She averaged 6.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
Erin Mills-Reid begins her first season at the helm of the Lakers. She was an assistant coach at Mercyhurst during the 2006-07 season.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE LAKERS
This is the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Mercyhurst.
ADDING UP THE ACCOLADES
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten was named to the 2025-26 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List Presented by AXIA Time.
She was one of 50 players named to the watch list that honors the best players in the nation.
VanSlooten is one of 13 Big Ten players named to the watch list, including her team USA teammate Hannah Stuelke from Iowa. VanSlooten was also named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team earlier this month as well the Cheryl Miller Award Watch List.
SEASON OPENERS
Michigan State has won its 11th-straight season-opener and two in a row under head coach Robyn Fralick. MSU's last season-opening loss was on Nov. 11, 2013 at #6/7 Notre Dame. The Spartans have won 15-consecutive home openers, as their last loss in the first home game of the season was on Nov. 19, 2009 vs. #5/6 Notre Dame.
VANSLOOTEN EARNS PRESEASON HONOR
Michigan State women's basketball senior forward Grace VanSlooten was named 2025-26 Preseason All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media. In her first season with the Spartans, VanSlooten earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. She was first on the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game. She scored a career-high 480 points her junior season. She was tied for 15th in the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game. In a win against, Vanderbilt at the Acrisure Classic on Nov. 27, she scored her 1,000th career point.
BRINGING HOME THE GOLD
Three players earned gold medals for their home countries this summer. Grace VanSlooten won the FIBA Women's Americup for Team USA. Marah Dykstra won gold for Canada in the FIBA 3x3 Junior Pan American Games. Inés Sotelo and Spain won a gold medal in the 2025 FIBA Eurobasket.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick has announced senior forward Grace VanSlooten and senior guard Abbey Kimball as team captains, as voted on by the players on the 2025-26 women's basketball team. This is the first time that either has been named a captain for Michigan State. VanSlooten is in her second season with MSU after transferring from Oregon. Kimball is in her fourth season as a Spartan.
LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE
For the fifth-straight season, the Big Ten Conference will play an 18-game schedule. MSU also played an 18-game schedule in both 2018-19 and 2019-20. The conference additionally had 18-game schedules in both 2015-16 and 2014-15.
The Spartans will face a maximum of 12 opponents that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season, as MSU will possibly play Ole Miss in the Cherokee Invitational. From the Big Ten portion of the schedule, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington reached the NCAA Tournament, including the Bruins advancing to the Final Four.
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State women's basketball opened the 2025-26 season a strong 101-58 exhibition win Wednesday night at the Breslin Center.
The game was a reunion of sorts as associate head coach Kim Cameron and assistant coach Maria Kasza both are both alums of Michigan Tech. Cameron went on to be the head coach with Kasza serving as an assistant.
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten led the Spartans with 22 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Emma Shumate came off the bench to score 20 points going 6-for-8 from 3-point range. Senior guard Theryn Hallock added 16 points with five assists, while redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair made her first start and added 14 points.
NEW DIGS
The Spartans welcome four transfers to the 2025-26 season. Rashonda Jones is a junior guard, who comes to Michigan State after two years at Purdue. Marah Dykstra is a senior forward who spent three season at Montana State in the Big Sky Conference. Jalyn Brown is the second-straight player to come to MSU from Arizona State. The guard played two seasons at ASU. Last season, senior Jaddan Simmons spent one season with MSU. Finally, Sara Sambolić is a junior guard from Slovenia who transferred from the University of Ljubljana.
• This is the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Mercyhurst. Last season, Mercyhurst went 9-18 overall and 6-10 in the NEC. Erin Mills-Reid takes over the reigns for the Lakers this season.
• Michigan State fans will have ample opportunities to see the Spartans in the month of November. MSU will start the season with six-straight home games.
• The Spartans return a pair of all conference honorees. Senior forward Grace VanSlooten was named to the second team by both the coaches and the media. Senior guard Theryn Hallock was named honorable mention by both the coaches and the media.
• MSU will have at least 13 games nationally televised on either the BTN, FS1 or Peacock. MSU will also have 12 regular-season contests aired on Big Ten Plus.
SCOUTING MERCYHURST
Mercyhurst ended the 2024-25 season with 9-18 record overall and a 6-10 record in the NEC. The Lakers lost their last four games of the season. Last season was Mercyhurst's first season in Division I.
Senior guard Jenna Van Schaik was named to the Preseason All-NEC. The Lakers were picked to finish sixth out of 10 teams in the NEC. Last season, she averaged 13.6 points along with 3.0 assists per game. CiCi Hernandez is also back for the Lakers. She averaged 6.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
Erin Mills-Reid begins her first season at the helm of the Lakers. She was an assistant coach at Mercyhurst during the 2006-07 season.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE LAKERS
This is the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Mercyhurst.
ADDING UP THE ACCOLADES
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten was named to the 2025-26 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List Presented by AXIA Time.
She was one of 50 players named to the watch list that honors the best players in the nation.
VanSlooten is one of 13 Big Ten players named to the watch list, including her team USA teammate Hannah Stuelke from Iowa. VanSlooten was also named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team earlier this month as well the Cheryl Miller Award Watch List.
SEASON OPENERS
Michigan State has won its 11th-straight season-opener and two in a row under head coach Robyn Fralick. MSU's last season-opening loss was on Nov. 11, 2013 at #6/7 Notre Dame. The Spartans have won 15-consecutive home openers, as their last loss in the first home game of the season was on Nov. 19, 2009 vs. #5/6 Notre Dame.
VANSLOOTEN EARNS PRESEASON HONOR
Michigan State women's basketball senior forward Grace VanSlooten was named 2025-26 Preseason All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media. In her first season with the Spartans, VanSlooten earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. She was first on the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game. She scored a career-high 480 points her junior season. She was tied for 15th in the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game. In a win against, Vanderbilt at the Acrisure Classic on Nov. 27, she scored her 1,000th career point.
BRINGING HOME THE GOLD
Three players earned gold medals for their home countries this summer. Grace VanSlooten won the FIBA Women's Americup for Team USA. Marah Dykstra won gold for Canada in the FIBA 3x3 Junior Pan American Games. Inés Sotelo and Spain won a gold medal in the 2025 FIBA Eurobasket.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick has announced senior forward Grace VanSlooten and senior guard Abbey Kimball as team captains, as voted on by the players on the 2025-26 women's basketball team. This is the first time that either has been named a captain for Michigan State. VanSlooten is in her second season with MSU after transferring from Oregon. Kimball is in her fourth season as a Spartan.
LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE
For the fifth-straight season, the Big Ten Conference will play an 18-game schedule. MSU also played an 18-game schedule in both 2018-19 and 2019-20. The conference additionally had 18-game schedules in both 2015-16 and 2014-15.
The Spartans will face a maximum of 12 opponents that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season, as MSU will possibly play Ole Miss in the Cherokee Invitational. From the Big Ten portion of the schedule, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington reached the NCAA Tournament, including the Bruins advancing to the Final Four.
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State women's basketball opened the 2025-26 season a strong 101-58 exhibition win Wednesday night at the Breslin Center.
The game was a reunion of sorts as associate head coach Kim Cameron and assistant coach Maria Kasza both are both alums of Michigan Tech. Cameron went on to be the head coach with Kasza serving as an assistant.
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten led the Spartans with 22 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Emma Shumate came off the bench to score 20 points going 6-for-8 from 3-point range. Senior guard Theryn Hallock added 16 points with five assists, while redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair made her first start and added 14 points.
NEW DIGS
The Spartans welcome four transfers to the 2025-26 season. Rashonda Jones is a junior guard, who comes to Michigan State after two years at Purdue. Marah Dykstra is a senior forward who spent three season at Montana State in the Big Sky Conference. Jalyn Brown is the second-straight player to come to MSU from Arizona State. The guard played two seasons at ASU. Last season, senior Jaddan Simmons spent one season with MSU. Finally, Sara Sambolić is a junior guard from Slovenia who transferred from the University of Ljubljana.
Players Mentioned
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