RALEIGH, N.C. – No. 7-seed Michigan State women’s basketball will take on No. 2 seed and host NC State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday, March 24. Tipoff at Reynolds Coliseum is set for 12 p.m. Wes Durham and Angela Taylor will be on the call for ESPN. • The Spartans won their first NCAA Tournament game since 2019 with a 64-50 win over No. 10-seed Harvard on Saturday in the first round. In 2019, No. 9-seed MSU beat No. 8-seed CMU, 88-87. • Despite a close first half, the No. 2-seeded Wolfpack pulled away No. 15-seeded Vermont, 75-55, on Saturday in the first round. NC State improved to 27-6 overall. • Michigan State swiped 11 steals Saturday, breaking the single-season record for steals, now with 384 steals in 31 games, passing the record of 375 steals set by the 2004-05 Spartan squad in 37 games. • MSU’s No. 7 seed is the Spartans’ highest since 2016 when they were a No. 4 seed, and it is the first time that the Spartans are a No. 7 seed. Overall, MSU is making its 20th overall trip to the “Big Dance,” having made it to the NCAA Tournament in 17 of the last 22 completed seasons. Michigan State improved to 20-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 14-5 in the First Round.
SPARTANS IN THE BIG DANCE
Michigan State brings a 22-9 overall record into Monday’s second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans are in the second round for the first time since 2019, but their 15th total time in the second round out of their 20th overall. MSU has advanced to the Sweet 16 three times, looking for their first trip back since 2009, and Michigan State’s fourth-ever trip to the Sweet 16. The Spartans reached Monday’s second round after pulling away from pesky 10th-seeded Harvard, 64-50, on Saturday night. Saturday’s win moved MSU to 22-9 on the season, which matches last season’s win total. This is the first time with 20-win seasons in consecutive years since 2015-16 and 2016-17, with 25 and 21 wins, respectively. It is also the first time the Spartans have posted at least 22 wins in back-to-back seasons since 2012-13 and 2013-14, winning 25 games in 2012-13 and 23 in 2013-14. The Spartans and Wolfpack will be meeting for the fourth time in series history. Michigan State is 2-1 all-time vs. NC State, last playing on Nov. 22, 2018 in Cancun, Mexico. The Spartans and Wolfpack have only met once in the postseason, playing in the 2008 WNIT Semifinals. Michigan State is making its first trip to Raleigh, North Carolina for the NCAA Tournament, but it will be the Spartans’ third-ever trip to the state of North Carolina for the NCAA Tournament. MSU also played in North Carolina in 1997, going 1-1 as the No. 8 seed in the East Region at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, beating No. 9 seed Portland, 75-70 (OT), before falling to No. 1 seed and host, North Carolina, 81-71, also in OT. In the 2014 NCAA Tournament, the Spartans also played in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as the No. 5 seed of the Stanford Regional, beating No. 12 seed Hampton, 91-61, before losing to host and No. 4 seed North Carolina, 62-53.
SPARTANS AGAINST THE ACC THIS SEASON
NC State is MSU’s second ACC opponent this season, as the Spartans played California on Nov. 26 in the Acrisure Classic in Palm Desert, California, beating the Golden Bears, 78-72. Cal is one of only two ACC teams to beat NC State this season, as the Wolfpack posted a 16-2 ACC mark. No. 24/25 Cal beat NC State, 78-71, Jan. 9, 2025 in Berkeley, California on Cal’s home court.
SPARTANS VS THE FIELD OF 68
MSU has played 14 teams that have reached the NCAA Tournament, going 7-9 against those squads. The Spartans went 0-2 against No. 1 seeds UCLA and USC. In non-conference action, MSU earned wins over California and Vanderbilt with a loss to Alabama. In league play, the Spartans went 1-1 against both Iowa and Michigan. Michigan State also had wins against Illinois, Washington and Indiana. The Spartans also had losses to Ohio State, Maryland, Oregon, and Nebraska.
SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
NC State improved to 27-6 overall with a 75-55 win over 15th-seeded Vermont on Saturday. The Wolfpack pulled away from a 35-33 halftime lead by out-scoring the Catamounts, 40-22, after halftime. The Wolfpack are making their 30th NCAA Tournament appearance, including making their eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, for the Wolfpack’s best span in school history. NC State is serving as a top 16 team for the fifth time in the last six tournaments. NC State has played 22 of its NCAA Tournament games in Raleigh through its program history and the Wolfpack are 20-2 in those games, winning the last 19 games in a row in Raleigh. Last season, the Wolfpack made their first Final Four appearance in 25 years. Additionally, this season NC State is 17-0 at home. NC State entered the NCAA Tournament after claiming the ACC regular season title and have now won 23 out of the last 26 games. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, NC State was the top-seed in the ACC Championship game, falling to third-seeded and No. 11/11 ranked Duke, 76-52. The Wolfpack are led by First-Team All-ACC selection Aziaha James, as the senior guard has posted 17.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. James is one of four NC State players averaging in double figures, as sophomore Zoe Brooks adds 14.4 ppg, followed by senior guard Saniya Rivers (11.8 ppg) and graduate guard Madison Hayes (10.8 ppg). NC State is coached by legendary head coach Wes Moore, who has amassed an 858-263 in his 36 years of coaching. Moore is in his 12th season leading the Wolfpack and is 300-94, and has led NC State to its nine NCAA Tournament during his tenure in Raleigh.
COACHING CONNECTIONS
MSU head coach Robyn Fralick played at Davidson from 2000-04 and NC State head coach Wes Moore was head coach at Tennessee Chattanooga from 1998-2013. Both teams played in the Southern Conference at that time.
SPARTANS AGAINST THE WOLFPACK
Michigan State and NC State have met three times, with MSU holding a 2-1 record. The first meeting was in the WNIT in the 2007-08 season, with MSU winning, 58-57, in the WNIT Semifinals on April 2, 2008 in East Lansing. The Spartans and Wolfpack have two regular-season meetings, the first was during the 2012-13 season, when the Spartans won 68-51 in Raleigh, which led to the fourth 6-0 start in program history at the time. The teams’ most recent meeting was during the 2018-19 season at the Cancun Challenge, where the Spartans lost to the Wolfpack, 78-74.
NC STATE VS THE FIELD OF 68
NC State has played 12 teams in the field of 68. The Wolfpack has a win over No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 7 Louisville, Southern, No. 9 Georgia Tech, No. 5 Ole Miss, and No. 6 Florida State. The Wolfpack has losses to No. 2 TCU, No. 3 LSU, No. 1 South Carolina and No. 8 California. The Wolfpack has one win and one loss to No. 3 North Carolina. They also have one regular season win to No. 1 Duke and a loss to them in the ACC Tournament.
MSU AND NC STATE COMMON OPPONENTS
MSU and NC State have one common opponent this season. The Spartans defeated Cal, 78-72, on Nov. 26, while the Wolfpack fell to the Bears, 78-71 on Jan. 9.
NEW TO THE DANCE
The Spartans are fairly new to the NCAA Tournament with only four players having any NCAA experience. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault has played in two NCAA games. As the No. 10 seed, MSU fell to Iowa State, 79-75 on March 22, 2021. Ayrault came off the bench to score seven points with two blocks. Last season against North Carolina on March 22, 2024, Ayrault scored 14 points with nine rebounds. Guard Theryn Hallock and Abbey Kimball made their NCAA Tournament debuts last season, along with guard/forward Jocelyn Tate. Junior guard Emma Shumate played in the NCAA Tournament, while playing at Ohio State. Transfers Grace VanSlooten, Nyla Hampton and Jaddan Simmons will all be playing in their first NCAA Tournaments.
DID YOU KNOW?
First-year head coach Robyn Fralick is the first-ever Michigan State women’s basketball head coach to lead the Spartans into the NCAA Tournament in their two seasons at the helm of the MSU program.
BIG TIME BIG TEN
For the first time in Big Ten history, 12 programs were selected to play in the NCAA Tournament, led by No. 1 seeds UCLA and USC. Ohio State and Maryland are both No. 4 seeds, while Iowa and Michigan are No. 6 seeds. MSU is the No. 7 seed, while Illinois (No. 8), Indiana (No. 9), Nebraska (No. 10), Oregon (No. 10) and Washington (No. 11) also advance to the Big Dance. The B1G went 10-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with No. 9-seeded Nebraska and No. 11-seeded Washington both losing their first round games. The 12 selections are a conference record for most teams chosen in one season. It is the 20th time in the past 24 years and 27th time in B1G history that at least six current conference members have been selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament.
PLAYING THE BEST
MSU’s battle with No. 12/12 Ohio State on Feb. 26 was the Spartans’ third ranked opponent in their last four games as well as all in the Top 12 and all three on the road, along with at No. 1/1 UCLA (2/16/25) and at No. 4/4 USC (2/19/25). Overall, it was MSU’s seventh regular-season game against a Big Ten foe that was ranked or receiving votes, as part of the ninth overall game this season against a ranked opponent, and MSU is 3-5 against the eight ranked/receiving votes opponents and 3-6 overall against ranked/receiving votes opponents.
AMAZING GRACE
Junior forward Grace VanSlooten has been a fantastic addition to the Spartan lineup this season. The Oregon transfer leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game. VanSlooten has played in 30 of 31 games, starting 22. She has six double-doubles. VanSlooten has scored in double-figures 28 times this season and has led the team in scoring 14 times, in addition to leading MSU in rebounds in six games.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE THE AMAZING GRACE
VanSlooten registered her sixth double-double of the season and second-straight in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament first round win over Harvard with a team-high 17 points and a game-best 10 rebounds, after 12 points and 10 rebounds in MSU’s B1G Tournament game vs. Iowa (3/6/25).
VanSlooten is the second Spartan to post double-doubles in back-to-back games, joining graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault who posted consecutive double-doubles twice, vs. Vanderbilt (11/27/24) and DePaul (12/8/24) in addition to at Maryland (12/29/24) and vs. Purdue (1/1/25).
GRACE AND CHARITY…STRIPE
With nine free throws made Saturday night, VanSlooten tied MSU’s individual single-game free throws made in an NCAA Tournament game record, matching Tori Jankoska with nine makes vs. Arizona State in 2017. VanSlooten’s 11 free throw attempts in No. 2 on MSU’s individual single game in an NCAA Tournament, only behind Eileen Shea’s 12 free throws in 1991 vs. Oklahoma State. With 11 free throw attempts Saturday, VanSlooten now has 165 for the season vaulting from No. 11 to No. 6 on MSU’s single-season free throw attempts list, passing Aerial Powers (2015-16) at No. 6 with 161. VanSlooten needs just one more for the No. 5 spot held by Nia Clouden (2018-19) with 166.
ENDURANCE IS KEY
Against Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament on March 6, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault played in her 137th career game at Michigan State. She now stands alone for first with 138 games after Saturday’s NCAA Tournament first round game vs. Harvard, passing Branndais Agee (2013-18), Kalisha Keane (2007-11) and Allyssa DeHaan (2006-10) who all played 136 games.
NO CHARITY HERE
Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons was the first Spartans to make 10 free throws since All-American Nia Clouden against Ohio State on Feb. 27, 2022. Clouden was 10-for-12 from the line in that game, while Simmons was a perfect 10-for-10. She tied the school record, which was last set by Matilda Ekh against Minnesota on Feb. 22, 2023.
QUITE THE TRIO
Now with 1,348 points, 749 rebounds and 181 blocks, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault joins a very small club. She is one of only three Spartans with over 1,300 points, 700 rebounds and 150 blocks. All-American Allyssa DeHaan ended her Spartan career with 1,649 points, 919 rebounds and 504 blocks. Kristen Rasmussen finished with 1,493 points, 964 rebounds and 194 blocks.
TATE JOINS THE 1K CLUB
With six points against No. 4/4 USC on Feb. 19, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate joined the 1,000-point club. She is now the fifth current Spartan with 1,000 points, currently with 1,043 points, joining Grace VanSlooten (1,352), graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault (1,348 points), graduate guard Jaddan Simmons (1,336 points) and graduate guard Nyla Hampton (1,312 points). Tate is the third of that quintet to reach 1,000 career points this season, joining Ayrault and VanSlooten, and all three netted their 1,000th career point in California, as Ayrault and VanSlooten reached the 1,000-point plateau in successive days when MSU played at the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs, California, with Ayrault scoring hers against Cal on Nov. 26, and VanSlooten followed the next day against Vanderbilt.
AYRAULT ASCENDS THE CHARTS
With her 17 points against Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament and eight vs. Harvard in the NCAA Tournament, Ayrault now has 1,348 career points, becoming the 14th MSU women’s basketball player in program history to reach 1,300 career points. Ayrault is holding solid at No. 14 on MSU’s career scoring list. Next up at the No. 13 spot is Kelli Roehrig (2013-18) with 1,370 points. With eight rebounds Saturday vs. Harvard, Ayrault’s career total is now 749 rebounds, remaining at the No. 12 spot on MSU’s career rebounding list. She is now 16 boards from tying Tori Jankoska (2013-17) for the No. 10 spot. Ayrault also now has 131 career 3-pointers, and now has sole possession of the No. 13 spot on the list, where she will have solid hold on for awhile, as next up is a tie for the No. 11 spot with 138 3-pointers by former teammate Matilda Ekh (2022-23) and former strength & conditioning coach and former Spartan Annalise Pickrel (2010-14). With the two blocks Saturday, Ayrault now has 45 for the season, moving up to tie for No. 9 on MSU’s single-season blocks list, passing Lykendra Johnson with 44 blocks in the 2010-11 season, and tying Kristen Rasmussen with 45 rejections in 1997-98.
BALANCED ATTACK
Seven different Spartans have led the team in scoring. Grace VanSlooten has led the team in scoring 14 times. Julia Ayrault has led the team in scoring 10 times and Theryn Hallock has been the leading scorer seven times, while Jocelyn Tate, Jaddan Simmons, Emma Shumate and Juliann Woodard have led once.
YOUR STARTING FIVE
Michigan State used the same starting line for the 10th game in a row, with graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault, graduate guard Jaddan Simmons, senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, junior guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Grace VanSlooten. Saturday’s NCAA Tournament first round game vs. Harvard was the 12th game overall this season with that starting five and MSU is now 6-6 with that starting five for the opening tip.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
Michigan State is third in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 79.0 points per game. The Spartans are also third in scoring margin (+15.5). MSU is tied for third in the league in blocks (5.1 bpg). MSU is tied for first with Ohio State in steals with 12.4 spg and tied for third with Nebraska in assists with 18.0 apg. The Spartans are second in turnover margin (+6.6).
Individually, junior forward Grace VanSlooten is 19th in the league in field goal percentage (.528) and is 14th in scoring, averaging 15.5 ppg. Graduate guard Jaddan Simmons is 12th in the Big Ten assist/turnover ratio (1.94). Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is tied for sixth in the league in blocks, averaging 1.8 bpg, and 15th in rebounding with 7.4 rpg. Senior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate is second in the league in steals (2.3 spg), while graduate guard Nyla Hampton is seventh in steals (2.0 spg).
AROUND THE NATION
After 31 games, the Spartans are 16th in the nation scoring offense, averaging 79.0 ppg. Michigan State is ninth in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in steals per game with 12.4 spg. MSU is 11th in the nation in assists with 18.0 apg and 16th in turnover margin (+6.6).
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick has announced guard/forward Julia Ayrault and guard Nyla Hampton as team captains, as voted on by the players on the 2024-25 women’s basketball team.
This is Ayrault’s second season as a captain for the Spartans. She is the first Spartan to be a captain in back-to-back seasons since Jenna Allen during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Hampton is in her first season with the Spartans, but is familiar with head coach Robyn Fralick. She played three seasons with Bowling Green before transferring to Ball State last season.
THREE SPARTANS EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was named to second team by both the coaches and the media. Junior forward Grace VanSlooten joined Ayrault with second-team honors by both the coaches and the media, while junior guard Theryn Hallock earned honorable mention honors by both the coaches and the media. Ayrault, a native of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, earned her second All-Big Ten accolade during her sixth season with the Spartans. She captured second-team honors after being named to the first team last season. VanSlooten, a native of Toledo, Ohio, captured her first All-Big Ten honor when she was named to the second team. She garnered All-Pac 12 honorable mention honors as both a freshman and a sophomore while at Oregon. Hallock, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, earned her first All-B1G honor with honorable mention honors this season. Hallock has played in all 29 games this season, starting 25. Last season, Hallock became just the second Spartan to earn Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year honors after All-American Kalisha Keane was voted Sixth Player of the Year during the 2009-10 season.
WELCOME TO SPARTAN NATION
Michigan State women’s basketball head coach Robyn Fralick announced the signing of three signees on Wednesday, including Jordan Ode (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove High School), Anna Terrian (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee High School) and Amy Terrian (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee High School). Ode is a 6-0 guard, who is a native of Maple Grove, Minn. She attends Maple Grove High School and is coached by Mark Cook. Ode is currently ranked No. 33 in the ESPNW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. Anna Terrian is a 5-8 guard, who is a native of Pewaukee, Wis., and plays for head coach Jim Reuter at Pewaukee High School. As a junior, she averaged 9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Amy Terrian is a 5-8 guard, who is a native of Pewaukee, Wis., plays for head coach Jim Reuter at Pewaukee High School. Terrian is currently ranked No. 89 in the ESPNW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. As a junior, she averaged 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
