No. 13/15 MSU Women's Basketball Hosts USC on Breslin Boom Night

Thursday, January 22

East Lansing, Mich.

8 PM

Michigan State University

USC

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No. 13/15 MSU Women's Basketball Hosts USC on Breslin Boom Night

1/21/2026 3:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 13/15 Michigan State women's basketball returns home to take on USC on Thursday, Jan. 22. Tipoff time is set for 8 p.m. The Trojans come to East Lansing for the first time since 1992. Sloane Martin and Shimmy Miller will be on the call for BTN.

• The Spartans look to get back into the winning column after a 75-68 loss to No. 11 Iowa on Jan. 22. Michigan State stands 17-2 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten action. MSU's 6-2 B1G record is their best conference record since 1996-97 when MSU was 7-1 through eight league games on the way to opening 8-1 in league play.

• USC comes to East Lansing with an 11-7 record and 3-4 in Big Ten play. The Trojans snapped a four-game losing streak last time out with an 83-57 win over Purdue at home on Jan. 18.

• Senior Grace VanSlooten netted 17 points and seven rebounds at Iowa on Jan. 18, and she has now registered 105 points and 50 rebounds in the last six games, since being held to eight points and four rebounds vs. Rutgers (12/28/25). VanSlooten is averaging 17.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over the last five outings.

• Michigan State's No. 13 ranking in the latest AP poll is the highest Spartan ranking since Dec. 21, 2010, when MSU.

SCOUTING USC
USC comes to East Lansing with an 11-7 overall record and a 3-4 mark in Big Ten play. The Trojans had their four-game losing streak snapped by an 83-57 win against Purdue at home. USC has wins this season over Washington, Nebraska and NC State this season.

Freshman Jazzy Davidson leads the team in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game. She is 13th in the Big Ten in scoring. She is also 15th in the B1G in rebounding 6.6 rpg. Kara Dunn is second on the team in scoring with 14.3 ppg, while Londynn Jones is averaging 11.6 ppg.

The Trojans are fourth in scoring defense, allowing only 58.3 ppg. USC is scoring 68.6 ppg. The Trojans are averaging only 13.4 turnovers, while forcing 18.1 from their opponents.

USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb is in her fifth season at the helm of the Trojans. She holds a 104-43 record in her five seasons. She has an overall record of 339-171 in 16 seasons. Gottlieb has also been a head coach at UC Santa Barbara and California.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE TROJANS
USC holds the overall series lead with Michigan State 3-1. Thursday's meeting will be just the second since 1992. In that meeting, USC defeated MSU 56-51. The Trojans are 2-0 in Los Angeles. On Dec. 30, 1992, USC won 66-50.

The Spartans one win game in a big moment. In Minneapolis in 2005, Michigan State defeated USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 61-59. Lindsay Bowen led Michigan State with 19 points, including four huge 3-pointers in the second half. Rene Haynes layup with 2.9 seconds remaining helped keep MSU Final Four hopes alive. Last season in Los Angeles on Feb. 19, JuJu Watkins and the Trojans defeated the Spartans, 83-75. In that game, Grace VanSlooten tied her career high with 29 points, including netting a collegiate career-best 11-for-12 from the charity stripe. Julia Ayrault was also in double figures, scoring 16 points with 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.

FRALICK REACHES A MILESTONE
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick reached a career milestone against Illinois on Jan. 4. With the win, she earned her 250th career win. She now holds a 253-97 record in 11 seasons as a head coach. She has won 61 games at MSU.
DID YOU KNOW?
Michigan State's No. 13 ranking in the latest AP poll is the highest Spartan ranking since Dec. 21, 2010, when MSU was`No. 12.

SHOOT-MATE STRIKES AGAIN
Senior guard Emma Shumate has made 14 3-pointers in the last seven games after being held without a 3-pointer vs. Ole Miss (Dec. 22), averaging 2.0 triples per game over the last seven contests. Shumate has 21 3-pointers in the last nine games, boosted by her career-best seven 3-pointers vs. Indiana State in the opening game of the Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, North Carolina, and is averaging 2.3 treys per game over the last nine contests.

CARDIAC KIDS
The Spartans have won two of the last three games by a combined total of six points. MSU defeated Oregon on the road 85-81 on Jan. 11. Michigan State also fought to a 73-71 win over Nebraska on Jan. 15. Even the Spartans loss to Iowa on Jan. 1 was by just seven points.

GRACE REMAINS HOT
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten netted 17 points and seven rebounds at No. 11 Iowa on Jan. 18, and she has now registered 105 points and 50 rebounds in the last six games, since being held to eight points and four rebounds vs. Rutgers (12/28/25). VanSlooten is averaging 17.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over the last five outings.

VanSlooten's 17 points on Sunday was her 17th game this season with double-digits out of the 19 games this season. She now has posted 10+ points in 36 of the last 39 games. She now has logged double-digits in 46 of 50 total games played as a Spartans, being held to single digits twice this season and twice last season, and also missing one game last season due to illness.

BY THE NUMBERS vs. IOWA
Sunday's loss to Iowa snapped MSU's nine-game winning streak, the Spartans' longest win streak since winning the first 10 contests last season, opening the 2024-25 season with 10-straight wins.
Three Spartans scored in double-figures for the second game in a row and the third time in the last four games, with senior forward Grace VanSlooten leading the way with 17 points, while senior guard Jalyn Brown notched 16 points and sophomore guard Julian Woodard netted 14 points. Sunday marked the ninth total time this season that three Spartans registered double-digits, moving to 8-1 with three players score 10+ points.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
Sophomore forward Juliann Woodard netted three 3-pointers on Jan. 11 against Oregon, all coming at pivotal moments in the game. The three triples were Woodard's most in a Big Ten game this season and her second-most in a game this season behind her career-high five triples vs. Eastern Illinois (11/20/25). She continued her trend of being in the right place at the right time against Nebraska on Jan. 15. Woodard got an offensive rebound and drew a foul with five seconds left, hitting 2-of-2 free throws for the game-winning points. She continued her sharp-shooting, scoring 14 points off the bench, going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc against Iowa on Jan. 18.

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 Jalyn Brown with that group improving to 5-1 after falling to Iowa on Jan. 18. Overall, MSU has had five different starting lineups. VanSlooten, Blair and Jones are the only three Spartans to start all 19 games.

LOOKING AT THE NET
In the current women's basketball NET ranking, the Spartans stand No. 9. They are third among Big Ten schools behind No. 2 UCLA and No. 6 Michigan. UConn stands No. 1.

KEEPING UP WITH JONES
During the Spartans' nine-game winning streak, junior guard Rashunda Jones has been superb, reaching double figures in all nine games. She averaged 13.0 ppg during that stretch. She has shot 52.7 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from beyond the arc and 86.3 percent from the charity stripe. She scored a season-high 23 points in the road win against Oregon on Jan. 11. She had that streak stopped against Iowa with only nine points against the Hawkeyes.

TAKING DOWN THE BEST
No. 24/23 Michigan State knocked off No. 15/15 Ole Miss on Dec. 22 for the Spartans' highest ranked win under head coach Robyn Fralick. It was 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). Michigan State now stands 3-1 against ranked teams this season after an 82-67 road victory over No. 23 Washington on Jan. 8 and a 73-71 win over No. 24 Nebraska on Jan. 15. The one loss came against Iowa, 75-68, on Jan. 18 on the road.

SPARTANS VS. THE NCAA
After the first 19 games, Michigan State stands seventh in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.58). The Spartans are eighth in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+9.6). Michigan State is ninth in bench scoring and second in the Big Ten (+30.4). MSU is seventh in the country in field goal percentage, 49.9 percent and 10th in 3-point shooting percentage (37.8 percent). Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is 23rd in the NCAA in assists per game (5.6 apg). Emma Shumate is 15th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.44.1 percemt).

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 561-328. The Spartans are 13-1 this season when their bench out-scored their opponent.

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 8-0 at home, 4-0 in neutral games and 2-1 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. MSU is 8-0 at the Breslin Center this year.

SUNDAY FUNDAY
With the Spartans' loss against Iowa on Jan. 18, Michigan State is now 8-2 on Sunday, their most-played day of the week. MSU is also 6-2 in day games.

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.

RANKED TEAMS IN BIG TEN
The Big Ten continues to be one of the toughest conferences in the country with eight teams in the top 15 in the rankings. In the AP poll, UCLA is No. 3, while Michigan is No. 7. Iowa moved up to No. 10 followed by Ohio State (No. 12), Michigan State (No. 15) and Maryland (No. 15). Nebraska stands No. 24, while Washington is No. 25. Illinois, and Minnesota are both receiving votes.

BIG TIME BIG TEN NUMBERS
The Spartans are third in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 86.6 ppg and third in scoring margin (+26.8). Michigan State is also second in 3-point field goal field percentage (.378). The Spartans stand fifth in assists per game, averaging 19.1 apg and second in steals per game with 12.3 spg.
Individually, Rashunda Jones is tied for second in the league in steals per game, averaging 2.61 spg, while senior forward Grace VanSlooten is tied for 10th (1.89 spg). Kennedy Blair is also fourth in assists with 5.72 apg. Jones is sixth in the B1G in assist/turnover ratio (2.45).

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.

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. Against Illinois, MSU had only six turnovers, which was the fifth time this season that the Spartans had single-digit turnovers.

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. 27
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Tuesday Feb. 10
Tuesday, Feb. 17
Tuesday, Feb. 24