No. 24/19 Michigan State Hosts Illinois on Alumni Day Sunday

Sunday, January 4

East Lansing, Mich.

12 PM

Michigan State University

Illinois

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Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography

No. 24/19 Michigan State Hosts Illinois on Alumni Day Sunday

1/3/2026 10:59:00 AM | Women's Basketball

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The Spartans will celebrate former players at half time.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 24/19 Michigan State women's basketball hosts Illinois for its first home game of 2026 on Sunday, Jan. 4. Tipoff time is set for 12 p.m. at the Breslin Center. The Spartans will also celebrate Alumni Day on Sunday. Jason Ross Jr. and Shimmy Miller will be on the call for BTN.

• The Spartans are improved to 13-1 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play after an 80-60 win over Indiana on Jan. 1. Michigan State's 20-point margin of victory was the largest by any team in the series since the Spartans' last win in Bloomington, a 68-46 Victory for MSU, on Dec. 28, 2017.

• Illinois heads to East Lansing with a 13-1 record and stand 3-0 in Big Ten records. The Illini came up with a huge 73-70 win over No. 7/6 Maryland on Jan. 1. The Spartans have won the last two games in the series and nine of the last 10.

• Senior Jalyn Brown made the first start of her Spartan career against IU. Overall, it was Brown's 55th career collegiate start, making 54 starts during her two seasons at Arizona State. She scored a season-high 20 points against the Hoosiers on Jan. 1.

• Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick is approaching a career milestone. She is currently just two wins away from the 250 career win mark, holding a 249-96 record in 11 seasons as a head coach. She has won 57 games at MSU.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois comes to East Lansing tied for first place in the Big Ten with a 3-0 mark in league play. The Illini are tied with UCLA and Iowa with matching 3-0 records. Overall, the Illini are 13-1 tied for the second-most wins in the Big Ten along with UCLA, Michigan State and Oregon. Maryland leads the league with 14 overall wins.

The Illini have four players, averaging in double figures. Berry Wallace is first on the team in scoring, averaging 17.9 ppg, while Gretchen Nolan is second with 15.1 ppg. Cearah Parchment is third with 11.5 ppg, while Maddie Webber is scoring 10.8 ppg off the bench. As a team, Illinois is averaging 80.4 ppg, while allowing only 57.6 ppg.

Illinois is second in the nation and first in the league in free throw percentage, shooting 83.1 percent from the free throw line. The Illini are 17th in NCAA in turnovers per game (12.3).

Illinois head coach Shauna Green is in her fourth season at the helm of the Illini with a record of 76-36. Overall in 12 seasons, she holds a record of 232-11. She also spent time at Dayton and Loras before heading to Champaign.

SHE SOUNDS FAMILIAR
Former Spartan and Illini player Kendall Bostic returns to the Breslin Center on the Illinois radio broadcast. She is the Illini's Assistant Director of Development for Varsity I. She spent the 2020-21 season at MSU.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Michigan State holds the all-time series lead with Illinois, 48-30. In East Lansing, MSU leads 25-10, while in Champaign, the Spartans have the a slight advantage 20-17. Michigan State has won 12 of the last 13 with Illinois. The last time the Illini won was on Jan. 29, 2023 when Illinois came out on top 86-76. Last season, MSU came out on top 86-68 in Champaign on Jan. 19, 2025, behind a then-career-high 26 points from Theryn Hallock. Grace VanSlooten added 24 points off the bench.

FRALICK APPROACHING A MILESTONE
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick is approaching a career milestone. She is currently just two wins away from the 250 career win mark, holding a 249-96 record in 11 seasons as a head coach. She has won 57 games at MSU.

DID YOU KNOW?
The 13-1 start for Michigan State matches MSU's best record through 14 games since 2012-13 when the Spartans were also 13-1.

NEW YEAR NEW SPARTANS
With the win against Indiana on Jan. 1, the Spartans won on New Year's Day for the second-straight season, with both games coming against teams from the state of Indiana, after beating Purdue last season, 77-59, in East Lansing, on Jan. 1, 2025.

MSU improved to 5-0 all-time in games played on New Year's Day, including 2-0 in the state of Indiana as part of 3-0 against teams from the state of Indiana, as along with Thursday's win at Indiana, MSU won, 68-62 in OT at Purdue on Jan. 1, 2009. Michigan State also beat Michigan, 77-44, on Jan. 1, 2006 and beat Illinois, 71-47 on Jan. 1, 2017.

BY THE NUMBERS vs. INDIANA

MSU hung 80 points on the scoreboard for the first time in its last three games after 70 and 64 points in its previous two games. The 80 points on Thursday marked the Spartans' second-highest points in a true road game behind the 90 points at DePaul. Overall, the 80 points was MSU's 10th game scoring 80 or more points as the Spartans improved to 10-0 when doing so.
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten posted her second double-double in the last three games with 18 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. She also had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Cherokee Invitational title win over No. 15 Ole Miss. VanSlooten now has three double-doubles this season as part of 10 for her MSU career, and the 20th double-double of her collegiate career after 10 at Oregon.

CONSISTENT KENNEDY
Against Indiana, redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair notched 13 points for her second-consecutive game in double-figures and the ninth game this season with 10+ points. It was Blair's 12th career game in double-digit scoring. She also snared five rebounds Thursday for her seventh-straight game with five or more boards as part of the 11th game this season with five or more rebounds.

Blair dished out a game-best five assists for her 11th game with five or more helpers in the 14 games played this season.
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. MSU rolled out its third lineup against Indiana State with Blair, Jones, Van Slooten, Inés Sotelo and Sara Sambolić, which is now 1-0. The Spartans changed it up for a fourth time against No. 15 Ole Miss and Rutgers with VanSlooten, Jones, Blair, Sotelo and Isaline Alexander making the starting five.

Yet another lineup was debuted against Indiana in Blair, Jones VanSlooten, Sotelo and Jayln Brown with that group improving to 1-0. Overall MSU has had five different starting lineups. VanSlooten, Blair and Jones are the only three Spartans to start all 14 games.

TAKING DOWN THE BEST
No. 24/23 Michigan State knocked off No. 15/15 Ole Miss for the Spartans' highest ranked win under head coach Robyn Fralick. It is the Spartans' third overall win over an AP Top 25 team in their three seasons under Coach Fralick, with all three coming in last two years after beating No. 21 Iowa (68-66, 12/15/24) and No. 24 Michigan (88-58, 1/25/25).

BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE
By winning the 2025 Cherokee Invitational crown, Michigan State not only defended its 2023 Cherokee Invitational championship, but also collected its second tournament title of the season after winning the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship of the Junkanoo Division in the Bahamas on Nov. 30. It is also MSU's fourth tournament title in the last three seasons after winning the 2023 Cherokee Invitational and the 2024 Acrisure Classic crown last season in Palm Springs, Calif.

HOME SWEET HOME
MSU played its sixth-straight game away from home on Dec. 22 against No. 15 Ole Miss as the Spartans are now 6-0 at home, 4-0 in neutral games and 1-1 in road games. When Michigan State faced Rutgers on Dec. 28, it had been 35 days since its last game at the Breslin Center against Oakland on Nov. 23. In January, the Spartans will play five of their eight games away from the Breslin Center.

SUNDAY FUNDAY
With the Spartans' win against Rutgers on Dec. 28, Michigan State is now 6-1 on Sunday, their most-played day of the week. MSU is also 4-1 in day games.

VANSLOOTEN GETS BACK ON TRACK
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten got back on track in scoring in double-figures after being held to single-digits with eight points last time out, for just the second time this season in single-digit scoring. VanSlooten has tallied 10+ points in 12 of the 14 games this season and in 31 of her last 33 games. Overall, Van Slooten has posted double-figures in the scoring column in 41 of her 45 total games as a Spartan, being held to single digits twice last season and missing one game due to illness.

Additionally, VanSlooten has now tallied double-figures scoring 91 times out of 107 career games, registering 10+ points in 55 games during her time at Oregon.

KEEPING UP WITH JONES
During the Spartans five game winning streak, junior guard Rashunda Jones has been superb, reaching double figures in all five games. She has averaged 12.4 ppg during that stretch. She has shot 52.6 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from beyond the arc and 90.0 percent from the charity stripe. She has been getting involved in all facets of the game with 3.6 rebounds per game and 2.8 assists per game. Jones also has seven steals in that five-game span.

LOOKING AT THE NET
In the current women's basketball NET ranking, the Spartans stand No. 11. They are fourth among Big Ten schools behind No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 Michigan and No. 10 Iowa. UConn stands No. 1.

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. 14 spot followed by No. 17 USC. Michigan State (No. 24), Ohio State (No. 19) and No. 20 Nebraska round out the group.

SPARTANS VS. THE NCAA
After the first 14 games, Michigan State stands seventh in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.80). The Spartans are third in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+12.1). Michigan State is sixth in scoring margin and first in the Big Ten (+35.0). MSU has also been strong on the defensive end of the ball, standing 18th in the country and second in the B1G in steals per game (13.1 spg). Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is 19th in the NCAA in assists per game (5.8 apg).

STRONG BENCH
The Spartans' 59 points scored by their bench was more than Eastern Illinois' entire team scoring of 53 points on Nov. 20. Against DePaul on Dec. 14, the Spartan bench scored 44 of 90 points. MSU kept that trend up against Indiana State with 64 bench points. This season, the MSU bench has out-scored opponents 500-231.

BIG TIME BIG TEN NUMBERS
The Spartans are second in the Big Ten in scoring offense behind Michigan, averaging 89.7 ppg and first in scoring margin (+35.0). Michigan State is also first in 3-point field goal field percentage (.391). The Spartans stand third in assists per game, averaging 20.8 apg and second in steals per game with 13.1 spg.

Individually, Rashunda Jones is tied for second in the league in steals per game, averaging 2.5 spg, while senior forward Grace VanSlooten is 10th (2.1 spg). Kennedy Blair is also fourth in assists with 5.79 apg. Jones is third in the B1G in assist/turnover ratio (2.79).

FINDING THE MAGIC NUMBER
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.
The Spartans' 115 points in the win against Indiana State on Dec. 21 was MSU's second-most of the season, behind the season-high 125 points in the season-opener vs. Mercyhurst (11/4/25). It was Michigan State's fourth 100-point game, moving to 4-0.

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. 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 as well the Cheryl Miller Award Watch List.

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.

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.

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