No. 13 Spartan Women Conclude January at Purdue Thursday

Thursday, January 29

West Lafayette, Ind.

6 PM

Michigan State University

Purdue

Sara Sambolic plays defense vs. Illinois

1/28/2026 3:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

MSU Notes Listen Live Watch Live Live Stats

MSU has won four of the last five meetings with the Boilermakers.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 13/13 Michigan State women's basketball hits the road to take on Purdue on Thursday, Jan. 29. Tipoff time is set for 6 p.m. Jack Kizer and Shimmy Miller will be on the call for BTN. The Spartans will end the month of January on the road.

• Michigan State improved to 18-2 overall on the season with a hard-fought 74-68 win over USC, which is the Spartans' best record in program history since 2010-11, when MSU was also 18-2 through the first 20 games of the season. MSU also improved to 7-2 in B1G action, which is also the top conference ledgers since 1996-97 when MSU was 8-2 through 10 league games.

• Purdue has come on strong of late, holding an 11-9 overall record and stand 3-6 in Big Ten action. The Boilermakers have won three of their last five. Michigan State has won four-straight games at Mackey Arena overall and have won four of the last five overall meetings.

• Former Boilermaker Rashunda Jones returns to West Lafayette after playing two seasons for Purdue. She is having her best season yet, as she is third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.0 ppg.

• Michigan State's No. 13 ranking in the latest AP poll is the highest Spartan ranking since Dec. 21, 2010, when MSU was ranked No. 12.

SCOUTING PURDUE
Purdue is 11-9 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten action. The Boilermakers are 10-2 at Mackey Arena and are 1-7 on the road. Purdue is 3-2 in its last five games with wins over Wisconsin, Washington and Indiana.

Tara Daye leads the Boilermakers in scoring, averaging 12.5 ppg. Kiki Smith and Madison Layden-Zay are scoring 10.2 and 10.0 ppg, respectively. Daye is also 15th in the league in rebounding with 6.7 rpg.

The Boilermakers are eighth in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage (.350). They are also eighth in rebounding margin (+4.5), just ahead of Michigan State (+4.4).

Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds is in her fifth season at the helm of the Boilermakers. She holds a 72-73 record in her five seasons. She has an overall record of 300-123 in 13 seasons. Gearlds also spend eight seasons at Marian (IN).

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue holds the series lead with Michigan State, 44-40. In West Lafayette, the Boilermakers are on top in the series, 23-12, but the Spartans have won the last four meetings on the road. In East Lansing, Michigan State leads the series, 26-16. On neutral ground, Purdue leads 5-2.

On Feb. 21, 2024 in West Lafayette, the Spartans defeated Purdue, 68-59. Theryn Hallock topped MSU with 16 points, going 4-for-6 from long range. DeeDee Hagemann and graduate guard/forward Tory Ozment both scored 13 points. Last year in a New Year's Day battle, MSU won 77-59. Inés Sotelo made her first collegiate start, making the most of it with a career-high 16 points. She also tied her career-high with six rebounds.

HOMECOMING
Junior transfer Rashunda Jones will be playing back at Purdue for the first time. She played her first two seasons at Purdue, averaging 8.8 ppg as a Boilermaker.

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.

ROBYN'S NEST
The Breslin Center has become home right away for head coach Robyn Fralick. She boasts a 36-4 record at home in three seasons at Michigan State. In her first season in 2023-24, the Spartans went 13-2 with their only losses coming to Nebraska and Ohio State. In 2024-25, MSU was also 13-2 with losses to Oregon and Michigan. So far this season, the Spartans are 10-0 at the Breslin Center.

FORCING THE TURNOVERS
MSU's 24 turnovers forced by USC marked the second time in the last three games that the Spartans have forced 20+ turnovers by the opposition, joining 22 vs. Nebraska (1/15/26). It marked the 12th total time this season that Michigan State's defense has forced the opponents into 20+ turnovers.

Michigan State's 24 turnovers forced was just above the Spartans' season average of 21.74 turnovers forced per game entering Thursday's contest, ranking third in the Big Ten and 21st in the NCAA.

CARDIAC KIDS
The Spartans have won three of the last four games by a combined total of 12 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. Last time out, MSU defeated USC at home 74-68 on Jan. 22.

JONES EARNING HER FLOWERS
Michigan State women's basketball junior guard Rashunda Jones was named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. She was one of 25 players named to the watch list that honors the top defensive players in Division I.

Jones is one of four Big Ten players named to the watch list, along with UCLA's Lauren Betts, Ohio State's Kennedy Cambridge and USC's Jazzy Davidson.

In her first season with the Spartans, the South Bend, Indiana native is one of three Spartans to have started all 20 games so far this season. Jones is second in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 2.65 spg. She has a total of 53 steals this season. Jones is a huge part of the Spartans standing second in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (12.35).

GRACE REMAINS HOT
Senior forward Grace VanSlooten tallied 16 points and nine rebounds on Jan. 22 in MSU's win against USC. VanSlooten now has 121 points and 59 rebounds in the last seven contests, since being held to eight points and four rebounds vs. Rutgers (12/28/25). She is averaging 17.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game over the last seven outings.

With the 16 points Thursday, VanSlooten has posted double-digit points for the 18th time out of the 20 games this season. She now has tallied 10+ points in 37 of the last 40 games. VanSlooten now has logged double-digits in 47 of 51 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. USC
Thursday was the Spartans' third home game out of their last seven games in January, as MSU had played away from home in 10 of the last 14 games. Michigan State remained unbeaten at home at 10-0, while going 4-2 in road games and 4-0 in neutral contests.
Thursday was the first meeting between the Spartans and Trojans since 2005 and the first meeting in East Lansing since 1992, the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and USC. The Victory for MSU was the first since 2005, and only the second in the series, which is now 3-2 in USC's favor and the series is now 1-1 in East Lansing.

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 254-97 record in 11 seasons as a head coach. She has won 62 games at MSU.

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 6-1 after defeating USC on Jan. 22. 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.

BIG GAME BLAIR
Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair got back in the double-digit scoring column with 21 points against USC after being held to just four points last time out at Iowa (1/18/26), snapping her career-long streak of six-straight games with 10+ points. Overall, it was Blair's 13th game this season in double-figures and the 16th of her career. Blair's 21 points was her second 20-point outing in the last five games, and both have come against West Coast B1G foes, matching the 21 points at Washington (1/8/26). She also swiped a career-high five steals, topping her previous top mark of four steals, done twice previous and last vs. Oakland (11/23/25).

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 20 games, Michigan State stands sixth in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.55). The Spartans are seventh in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+9.75). MSU is ninth in the country in field goal percentage, 49.3 percent and 11th in 3-point shooting percentage (37.4 percent). Redshirt-sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is 27th in the NCAA in assists per game (5.4 apg). Emma Shumate is 18th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (42.7 percent).

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 580-343. The Spartans are 13-1 this season when their bench out-scored their opponent.

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 six teams in the top 15 in the rankings. In the AP poll, UCLA is No. 3, while Iowa is No. 8. Iowa and Michigan is No. 9. No. 11 Ohio State is followed by Michigan State (No. 13), Maryland (No. 16) and Washington (No. 25). Nebraska, Illinois and Minnesota are all receiving votes.

BIG TIME BIG TEN NUMBERS
The Spartans are third in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 86.0 ppg and third in scoring margin (+25.8). Michigan State is also third in 3-point field goal field percentage (.374). The Spartans stand fourth in assists per game, averaging 18.8 apg and second in steals per game with 12.4 spg.
Individually, Rashunda Jones is tied for second in the league in steals per game, averaging 2.65 spg, while senior forward Grace VanSlooten is 10th (1.95 spg). Kennedy Blair is also fourth in assists with 5.40 apg. Jones is sixth in the B1G in assist/turnover ratio (2.14).

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.

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