Sunday, December 21
Cherokee, N.C.
5 PM
Michigan State University
vs
Indiana State
No. 24/23 Spartan Women Face Indiana State to Open Cherokee Invitational on Sunday
12/19/2025 4:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The two teams haven't met since 2008.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 24/23 Michigan State women's basketball will conclude non-conference action at the Cherokee Invitational, beginning with Indiana State on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. The Spartans will conclude the Invitational against either Old Dominion or No. 14 Ole Miss on Monday, Dec. 22. Jennifer George and Shawn Crowe will be on the call for the Women's Sports Network.Â
• After a definitive 90-46 win over DePaul on the road on Dec. 14, MSU improves to 9-1 this season. It is the Spartans' second-best record through 10 games in the three seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick, just behind last season's 10-0 start.
• Indiana State fell to 4-5 this season after dropping its Missouri Valley Conference opener to Drake at home 97-77 on Thursday. This is the first time the two teams have met since 2007.
• The Spartans are one of nine teams in the country with both their men and women's teams ranked in the AP top 25. MSU joins other Big Ten teams Michigan and Nebraska. Other teams that have both teams ranked are UConn, Iowa State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Louisville.
• Sophomore center Inés Sotelo and junior guard Sara Sambolić both made their season debuts against DePaul on Dec. 14. Sotelo's five points were part of 44 bench points for Michigan State.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores have lost two-straight games after a 97-77 loss to Drake in their Missouri Valley Conference opener. Overall, Indiana State is 4-5 this season. MSU and ISU share wins over Eastern Illinois. The Spartans defeated the  Panthers, 101-53, while the Sycamore won 90-69. This is the first neutral site game of the season for Indiana State.
Tierney Kelsey leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game, while Samiyah Briggs is second with 11.0 ppg. Jayci Allen is the final Sycamore averaging in double figures with 10.9 ppg. As a team, Indiana State is scoring 74.1 ppg, while allowing 73.7 ppg.Â
Marc Mitchell is in his second season at the helm of Indiana State. He holds a 8-33 record with the Sycamores. Overall, he has coached for 17 year with a record 267-205.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE SYCAMORES
Michigan State and Indiana State have a brief history, with the Spartans leading 4-0. MSU is 2-0 when meeting in East Lansing and 2-0 when facing each other in Terre Haute. The two sides have not met since 2007, when the Spartans came out on, 83-58. The first meeting was in 1978, while the they also met in 1979.
NEXT POSSIBLE OPPONENT
After taking on Indiana State, the Spartans will face either No. 14 Ole Miss or Old Dominion. The Spartans and the Rebels have never met before. The series between MSU and ODU is tied 1-1 with the last meeting coming in 2008 in East Lansing with Michigan State coming out on top 74-48. Ole Miss is currently 11-1 this season with the only loss coming against Kansas State on Dec. 7. The Rebels have won three-straight since then. Old Dominion is 7-4 this season, falling to Troy at home in its Sun Belt Conference opener, 81-79, on Dec. 17.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
In two games at the Cherokee Invitational in 2023, Michigan State went 2-0 to earn the title. The Spartans out-scored its opponents 94.0-71.0. Julia Ayrault averaged 22.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the pair of victories with Moira Joiner adding 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.  Joiner  went 9-for-14 from beyond the arc, shooting 64.3 percent from long range. Ayrault shot 48.5 percent from the field.
DID YOU KNOW?
Former Spartan standout Julia Ayrault holds the Cherokee Invitational record for points in a game with 32 against Coastal Carolina in 2023. Moira Joiner holds the record for 3-pointers made in a game with five against Richmond in 2023.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Redshirt-sophomore Kennedy Blair is ranked fifth in the Big Ten in scoring improvement from 2024-25 to 2025-26. Last season, she averaged 3.4 ppg, while scored 13.3 so far this season for a 10.0 ppg improvement. Northwestern's Grace Sullivan has the best improvement in the league after scoring 10.1 ppg last year and 24.0 ppg this year. Indiana's Shay Ciezki is second, while Oregon's Katie Fiso is third and Iowa's Ava Heiden is fourth.
RANKED TEAMS IN BIG TEN
This Big Ten continues to be one of the toughest conferences in the country with three teams in the top 10 in the rankings. In the AP poll, UCLA is No. 4, while Michigan and Maryland stand No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Iowa continues to hold the No. 11 spot followed by No. 19 USC. Michigan State (No. 24), Ohio State (No. 21)Washington (No. 20) and No. 23 Nebraska round out the group. The Big Ten matched a record with nine teams ranked this week. Last season, the B1G also had nine teams ranked on Dec. 2.
BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE
In winning the 2025 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship of the Junkanoo Division in Nassau, Bahamas, Michigan State won its third tournament title in as many seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick, as the Spartans won the 2023 Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, N.C., in Coach Fralick's first season, then won the 2024 Acrisure Classic crown last year in Palm Springs, Calif.
BY THE Â NUMBERS vs. DEPAUL
GETTING IN THE STARTING LINEUP
After using the same starting lineup for seven games, Michigan State used a different starting lineup against Clemson on Nov. 30. After an injury to Theryn Hallock, MSU went with the lineup for senior forward Grace VanSlooten, senior forward Marah Dykstra, senior guard Emma Shumate, junior guard Rashunda Jones and redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair. MSU is 2-1 with that lineup.
GRACE GETS ON THE SCORESHEET
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten has now tallied double-figures scoring 89 times out of 104 career games, registering 10+ points in 55 games during her time at Oregon.
LOOKING AT THE NET
In the current women's basketball NET ranking, the Spartans stand No. 10. They are fourth among Big Ten schools behind No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Maryland and No. 9 Maryland. UConn stands No. 1.
SPARTANS VS. THE NCAA
After the first 10 games, Michigan State stands first in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.31). The Spartans are second in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+14.6). Michigan State is also sixth in the nation and first in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 92.5 ppg. MSU has also been strong on the defensive end of the ball, standing 11th in the country and second in the B1G in steals per game (14.4 spg). Junior guard Rashunda Jones is ninth in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (3.36).
STRONG BENCH
Against Oakland on Nov. 23, Michigan State's bench out-scored the Grizzlies 37-9. The Spartans' 59 points scored by their bench was more than Eastern Illinois' entire team scoring of 53 points on Nov. 20. Â Against DePaul on Dec. 14, the Spartan bench scored 44 of 90 points. This season, the MSU bench has out-scored opponents 386-182.
BIG TIME BIG TEN NUMBERS
The Spartans are first tied for first in the Big Ten in scoring offense with Michigan, averaging 92.5 ppg and first in scoring margin (+39.8). Michigan State is also first in 3-point field goal field percentage (.397). The Spartans stand first in assists per game, averaging 22.9 apg and second in steals per game with 14.4 spg.
Individually, Rashunda Jones is second in the league in steals per game, averaging 3.1 spg, while senior forward Grace VanSlooten is tied for fifth (2.4 spg). Kennedy Blair is also fourth in assists with 6.1 apg. Jones is first in the B1G in assist/turnover ratio (3.36).
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten's 11 points and 10 rebounds against Temple on Nov. 28 Â was MSU's second double-double this season, joining redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair's 14 point-12 assist outing in the season-opener vs. Mercyhurst (11/4/25). In the championship game against Clemson on Nov. 30, Blair added her second double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 boards in the win.
While VanSlooten logged her first double-double of the season, it was the eighth of her career.
BIG TEN OPENERS
After losing its Big Ten Conference opener against Wisconsin, Michigan State is now 21-23 all-time in Big Ten openers. Last season, MSU defeated Iowa, having won eight of their last 15. The win against Iowa was the first time that the Spartans opened league play with the Hawkeyes since 2021-22 season, and the win avenged that 88-61 loss. During the 2023-24 season, the Spartans fell to Nebraska at home 80-74 on Dec. 9. During the 2022-23 season, the Spartans fell to Purdue at home 76-71 in overtime. During the 2020-21 season, the Spartans won their opener in Minneapolis, 81-68 over the Gophers.Â
LAST TIME OUT
No. 25/24 Michigan State women's basketball used a balance attack with five players in double figures to take care of DePaul, 90-46, on Dec. 14 at Wintrust Arena.
Michigan State improved to 9-1 with the victory. DePaul falls to 3-9 with the loss. The Spartans played their third-straight game without senior guard Theryn Hallock, who is out with an injury. Michigan State also welcomed back sophomore center Inés Sotelo who missed the first nine game with a foot injury, while junior guard Sara Sambolić made her Michigan State debut.
Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair led the Spartans in scoring with 16 points to go along with a game-high five assists. Senior forward Isaline Alexander scored 15 points, while senior forward Grace VanSlooten added 14 points. Off the bench, senior guard Jalyn Brown was a spark plug with 11 points, while junior guard Rashunda Jones had 13 points.
FINDING THE MAGIC NUMBER
The Spartans topped 100 points for the second game in a row as part of the third time this season against Oakland on Nov. 23, marking the second-straight season that MSU has reached the century mark three times, which also came in the Spartans' first six games of the season. MSU also scored 100 points in game six last year, with a 101-44 Victory for MSU over Detroit Mercy, which was its third 100-point outing.
Michigan State's 102 points against Oakland on Nov. 23 marked the Spartans' sixth time out of six games scoring 90+ points. MSU's 90 points  against DePaul on Dec. 14 was the first time reaching 90 in the last four games, after the Spartans had scored 90 or more points in each of the first six games of the season. MSU is now 7-0 when scoring 90+ points.
WELCOME BACK
After tearing her ACL on Jan. 22, 2025 against Penn State, Juliann Woodard returned to the lineup against Eastern Michigan. Woodard entered the game at the 3:46 mark of the fourth quarter. At the 3:39 point, she drained her first shot, which was a 3-pointer. Her trey gave the Spartans a 32-point advantage.
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. Â 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.Â
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
After missing all of the 2024-25 season and much of the 2023-24 season, senior forward Isaline Alexander returned to action on Nov. 4 against Mercyhurst. Alexander scored a career-high 20 points against Western Michigan. She topped her previous career-high of 17 points from Nov. 19, 2022 vs. Central Michigan for her first career 20-point outing and just her seventh career double-figure scoring outing .
She netted her career-best 20 points on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting from the floor, also a career-high, bettering her previous career-high field goal outing of seven field goals, vs. Oregon (11/27/22).
OH WHAT A NIGHT!
With her career-best 25 points against Oakland on Nov. 23, redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is the second Spartan to score 20 points this season, as well as the first MSU player with 25 or more points since Theryn Hallock netted 29 points last year at Ohio State (2/26/25).
One game earlier against Eastern Illinois, Blair became the first Spartan player with 15 or more rebounds since former Spartan great Julia Ayrault had 15 boards, nearly two years to the day, on Nov. 23, 2023, vs. James Madison.
HOLDING ON TO THE BALL
The Spartans only had three turnovers on Nov. 4 against Mercyhurst, also setting a school record for fewest turnovers, bettering the previous record of five done three previous times, first done in a 56-55 win at Northwestern on Jan. 22, 1989, then again in a 76-69 win vs. Stanford on March 29, 2005 and most recently in a 68-66 win over Toledo on March 18, 2018.
SEASON OPENERS
Michigan State won its 12th-straight season-opener and three 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 16-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. Â 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.
NEW DIGS
The Spartans welcome four transfers to the 2025-26 season. Rashunda 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.
ROBYN FRALICK RADIO SHOW
Michigan State women's basketball head coach Robyn Fralick started her weekly radio call-in show, the Robyn Fralick Radio Show, on Nov. 18 at One North Kitchen and Bar. Coach Fralick joins host Dalton Shetler, the Spartans' play-by-play voice, from 12-1 p.m., for an in-depth look into the MSU women's basketball program. The show is held at One North Kitchen and Bar on 1310 Abbott in East Lansing.Â
Radio Show Dates
Tuesday, Jan. 6
Tuesday, Jan. 13
Tuesday, Jan. 20
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Tuesday Feb. 10
Tuesday, Feb. 17
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Â
• After a definitive 90-46 win over DePaul on the road on Dec. 14, MSU improves to 9-1 this season. It is the Spartans' second-best record through 10 games in the three seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick, just behind last season's 10-0 start.
• Indiana State fell to 4-5 this season after dropping its Missouri Valley Conference opener to Drake at home 97-77 on Thursday. This is the first time the two teams have met since 2007.
• The Spartans are one of nine teams in the country with both their men and women's teams ranked in the AP top 25. MSU joins other Big Ten teams Michigan and Nebraska. Other teams that have both teams ranked are UConn, Iowa State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Louisville.
• Sophomore center Inés Sotelo and junior guard Sara Sambolić both made their season debuts against DePaul on Dec. 14. Sotelo's five points were part of 44 bench points for Michigan State.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores have lost two-straight games after a 97-77 loss to Drake in their Missouri Valley Conference opener. Overall, Indiana State is 4-5 this season. MSU and ISU share wins over Eastern Illinois. The Spartans defeated the  Panthers, 101-53, while the Sycamore won 90-69. This is the first neutral site game of the season for Indiana State.
Tierney Kelsey leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game, while Samiyah Briggs is second with 11.0 ppg. Jayci Allen is the final Sycamore averaging in double figures with 10.9 ppg. As a team, Indiana State is scoring 74.1 ppg, while allowing 73.7 ppg.Â
Marc Mitchell is in his second season at the helm of Indiana State. He holds a 8-33 record with the Sycamores. Overall, he has coached for 17 year with a record 267-205.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE SYCAMORES
Michigan State and Indiana State have a brief history, with the Spartans leading 4-0. MSU is 2-0 when meeting in East Lansing and 2-0 when facing each other in Terre Haute. The two sides have not met since 2007, when the Spartans came out on, 83-58. The first meeting was in 1978, while the they also met in 1979.
NEXT POSSIBLE OPPONENT
After taking on Indiana State, the Spartans will face either No. 14 Ole Miss or Old Dominion. The Spartans and the Rebels have never met before. The series between MSU and ODU is tied 1-1 with the last meeting coming in 2008 in East Lansing with Michigan State coming out on top 74-48. Ole Miss is currently 11-1 this season with the only loss coming against Kansas State on Dec. 7. The Rebels have won three-straight since then. Old Dominion is 7-4 this season, falling to Troy at home in its Sun Belt Conference opener, 81-79, on Dec. 17.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
In two games at the Cherokee Invitational in 2023, Michigan State went 2-0 to earn the title. The Spartans out-scored its opponents 94.0-71.0. Julia Ayrault averaged 22.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the pair of victories with Moira Joiner adding 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.  Joiner  went 9-for-14 from beyond the arc, shooting 64.3 percent from long range. Ayrault shot 48.5 percent from the field.
DID YOU KNOW?
Former Spartan standout Julia Ayrault holds the Cherokee Invitational record for points in a game with 32 against Coastal Carolina in 2023. Moira Joiner holds the record for 3-pointers made in a game with five against Richmond in 2023.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Redshirt-sophomore Kennedy Blair is ranked fifth in the Big Ten in scoring improvement from 2024-25 to 2025-26. Last season, she averaged 3.4 ppg, while scored 13.3 so far this season for a 10.0 ppg improvement. Northwestern's Grace Sullivan has the best improvement in the league after scoring 10.1 ppg last year and 24.0 ppg this year. Indiana's Shay Ciezki is second, while Oregon's Katie Fiso is third and Iowa's Ava Heiden is fourth.
RANKED TEAMS IN BIG TEN
This Big Ten continues to be one of the toughest conferences in the country with three teams in the top 10 in the rankings. In the AP poll, UCLA is No. 4, while Michigan and Maryland stand No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Iowa continues to hold the No. 11 spot followed by No. 19 USC. Michigan State (No. 24), Ohio State (No. 21)Washington (No. 20) and No. 23 Nebraska round out the group. The Big Ten matched a record with nine teams ranked this week. Last season, the B1G also had nine teams ranked on Dec. 2.
BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE
In winning the 2025 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship of the Junkanoo Division in Nassau, Bahamas, Michigan State won its third tournament title in as many seasons under head coach Robyn Fralick, as the Spartans won the 2023 Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, N.C., in Coach Fralick's first season, then won the 2024 Acrisure Classic crown last year in Palm Springs, Calif.
BY THE Â NUMBERS vs. DEPAUL
- Â Â Â The Spartans pulled down a season-high 49 rebounds, topping their previous top mark of 43 vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25), and the second game with 40+ rebounds. MSU had a 49-34 (+15) rebounding advantage, as the Spartans have out-rebounded their opposition in six games, now 6-0.
- Â Â Â MSU had four or more players net double-figures in the first four contests of the season, before only three or fewer in double-figures for the next five games, including a season-low two players in double-figures last time out at Wisconsin, but the Spartans got back on track with five players in double-figures on Sunday. It marked the second time this season that five Spartans scored 10+ points, joining the season-high seven players in double-figures in the season-opener vs. Mercyhurst (11/4/25).
GETTING IN THE STARTING LINEUP
After using the same starting lineup for seven games, Michigan State used a different starting lineup against Clemson on Nov. 30. After an injury to Theryn Hallock, MSU went with the lineup for senior forward Grace VanSlooten, senior forward Marah Dykstra, senior guard Emma Shumate, junior guard Rashunda Jones and redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair. MSU is 2-1 with that lineup.
GRACE GETS ON THE SCORESHEET
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten has now tallied double-figures scoring 89 times out of 104 career games, registering 10+ points in 55 games during her time at Oregon.
LOOKING AT THE NET
In the current women's basketball NET ranking, the Spartans stand No. 10. They are fourth among Big Ten schools behind No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Maryland and No. 9 Maryland. UConn stands No. 1.
SPARTANS VS. THE NCAA
After the first 10 games, Michigan State stands first in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.31). The Spartans are second in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+14.6). Michigan State is also sixth in the nation and first in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 92.5 ppg. MSU has also been strong on the defensive end of the ball, standing 11th in the country and second in the B1G in steals per game (14.4 spg). Junior guard Rashunda Jones is ninth in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (3.36).
STRONG BENCH
Against Oakland on Nov. 23, Michigan State's bench out-scored the Grizzlies 37-9. The Spartans' 59 points scored by their bench was more than Eastern Illinois' entire team scoring of 53 points on Nov. 20. Â Against DePaul on Dec. 14, the Spartan bench scored 44 of 90 points. This season, the MSU bench has out-scored opponents 386-182.
BIG TIME BIG TEN NUMBERS
The Spartans are first tied for first in the Big Ten in scoring offense with Michigan, averaging 92.5 ppg and first in scoring margin (+39.8). Michigan State is also first in 3-point field goal field percentage (.397). The Spartans stand first in assists per game, averaging 22.9 apg and second in steals per game with 14.4 spg.
Individually, Rashunda Jones is second in the league in steals per game, averaging 3.1 spg, while senior forward Grace VanSlooten is tied for fifth (2.4 spg). Kennedy Blair is also fourth in assists with 6.1 apg. Jones is first in the B1G in assist/turnover ratio (3.36).
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten's 11 points and 10 rebounds against Temple on Nov. 28 Â was MSU's second double-double this season, joining redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair's 14 point-12 assist outing in the season-opener vs. Mercyhurst (11/4/25). In the championship game against Clemson on Nov. 30, Blair added her second double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 boards in the win.
While VanSlooten logged her first double-double of the season, it was the eighth of her career.
BIG TEN OPENERS
After losing its Big Ten Conference opener against Wisconsin, Michigan State is now 21-23 all-time in Big Ten openers. Last season, MSU defeated Iowa, having won eight of their last 15. The win against Iowa was the first time that the Spartans opened league play with the Hawkeyes since 2021-22 season, and the win avenged that 88-61 loss. During the 2023-24 season, the Spartans fell to Nebraska at home 80-74 on Dec. 9. During the 2022-23 season, the Spartans fell to Purdue at home 76-71 in overtime. During the 2020-21 season, the Spartans won their opener in Minneapolis, 81-68 over the Gophers.Â
LAST TIME OUT
No. 25/24 Michigan State women's basketball used a balance attack with five players in double figures to take care of DePaul, 90-46, on Dec. 14 at Wintrust Arena.
Michigan State improved to 9-1 with the victory. DePaul falls to 3-9 with the loss. The Spartans played their third-straight game without senior guard Theryn Hallock, who is out with an injury. Michigan State also welcomed back sophomore center Inés Sotelo who missed the first nine game with a foot injury, while junior guard Sara Sambolić made her Michigan State debut.
Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair led the Spartans in scoring with 16 points to go along with a game-high five assists. Senior forward Isaline Alexander scored 15 points, while senior forward Grace VanSlooten added 14 points. Off the bench, senior guard Jalyn Brown was a spark plug with 11 points, while junior guard Rashunda Jones had 13 points.
FINDING THE MAGIC NUMBER
The Spartans topped 100 points for the second game in a row as part of the third time this season against Oakland on Nov. 23, marking the second-straight season that MSU has reached the century mark three times, which also came in the Spartans' first six games of the season. MSU also scored 100 points in game six last year, with a 101-44 Victory for MSU over Detroit Mercy, which was its third 100-point outing.
Michigan State's 102 points against Oakland on Nov. 23 marked the Spartans' sixth time out of six games scoring 90+ points. MSU's 90 points  against DePaul on Dec. 14 was the first time reaching 90 in the last four games, after the Spartans had scored 90 or more points in each of the first six games of the season. MSU is now 7-0 when scoring 90+ points.
WELCOME BACK
After tearing her ACL on Jan. 22, 2025 against Penn State, Juliann Woodard returned to the lineup against Eastern Michigan. Woodard entered the game at the 3:46 mark of the fourth quarter. At the 3:39 point, she drained her first shot, which was a 3-pointer. Her trey gave the Spartans a 32-point advantage.
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. Â 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.Â
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
After missing all of the 2024-25 season and much of the 2023-24 season, senior forward Isaline Alexander returned to action on Nov. 4 against Mercyhurst. Alexander scored a career-high 20 points against Western Michigan. She topped her previous career-high of 17 points from Nov. 19, 2022 vs. Central Michigan for her first career 20-point outing and just her seventh career double-figure scoring outing .
She netted her career-best 20 points on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting from the floor, also a career-high, bettering her previous career-high field goal outing of seven field goals, vs. Oregon (11/27/22).
OH WHAT A NIGHT!
With her career-best 25 points against Oakland on Nov. 23, redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is the second Spartan to score 20 points this season, as well as the first MSU player with 25 or more points since Theryn Hallock netted 29 points last year at Ohio State (2/26/25).
One game earlier against Eastern Illinois, Blair became the first Spartan player with 15 or more rebounds since former Spartan great Julia Ayrault had 15 boards, nearly two years to the day, on Nov. 23, 2023, vs. James Madison.
HOLDING ON TO THE BALL
The Spartans only had three turnovers on Nov. 4 against Mercyhurst, also setting a school record for fewest turnovers, bettering the previous record of five done three previous times, first done in a 56-55 win at Northwestern on Jan. 22, 1989, then again in a 76-69 win vs. Stanford on March 29, 2005 and most recently in a 68-66 win over Toledo on March 18, 2018.
SEASON OPENERS
Michigan State won its 12th-straight season-opener and three 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 16-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. Â 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.
NEW DIGS
The Spartans welcome four transfers to the 2025-26 season. Rashunda 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.
ROBYN FRALICK RADIO SHOW
Michigan State women's basketball head coach Robyn Fralick started her weekly radio call-in show, the Robyn Fralick Radio Show, on Nov. 18 at One North Kitchen and Bar. Coach Fralick joins host Dalton Shetler, the Spartans' play-by-play voice, from 12-1 p.m., for an in-depth look into the MSU women's basketball program. The show is held at One North Kitchen and Bar on 1310 Abbott in East Lansing.Â
Radio Show Dates
Tuesday, Jan. 6
Tuesday, Jan. 13
Tuesday, Jan. 20
Tuesday, Jan. 27
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Tuesday Feb. 10
Tuesday, Feb. 17
Tuesday, Feb. 24
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/ Women's BasketballRobyn Fralick Postgame Comments | DePaul
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Robyn Fralick Postgame Press Conference | Oakland
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Robyn Fralick Postgame Press Conference | Eastern Illinois
Thursday, November 20
Robyn Fralick Postgame Press Conference | Western Michigan
Sunday, November 16