Where MSU Women's Basketball Landed in Preseason AP Poll

Here is where the Spartan women's basketball team ended up in the preseason AP poll.

Michigan State head womens coach Robyn Fralick coaches her Spartans against the Washington Huskies, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. MSU won 80-68. | Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State women's basketball is continuing its rise entering the third year under head coach Robyn Fralick.

On Tuesday, the preseason AP Poll came out, ranking the best teams in the nation, and the Spartans will begin the year ranked No. 23. This is the first time that MSU is in the preseason Top 25 since 2019, when it began the year ranked No. 17.

Last Year's Success

Michigan State junior Grace VanSlooten (14) looks to pass against Michigan at the Breslin Center Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. | Robert Killips | Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State's program took a nice step forward last year. MSU reached as high as No. 15 in the AP rankings at one point in the 2024-25 season, which was the program's best ranking since the 2019-20 season, when it also was No. 15.

The Spartans ended up receiving a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which was MSU's best seeding since it was a four seed during the 2016 tourney.

Roster Outlook

Michigan State's Theryn Hallock (4) moves the ball up court against Indiana Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. | Robert Killips | Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State had three different players last year who averaged at least 10 points per game, and it returns two of them for another season.

Forward Grace VanSlooten was a force for the Spartans after transferring to MSU from Oregon last year. Her 15.5 points per game were the most on the team, but she also contributed 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks.

The Spartans' other top returner is guard Theryn Hallock. There are really not many harder-working players out there. Last season, she averaged 13.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

Portal Adds

Oct 22, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Jalyn Brown (23) talks to media during Big 12 Women’s Basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Fralick also got to work in the transfer portal. The biggest addition Michigan State has gotten is guard Jalyn Brown, who was previously at Arizona State. Last year at ASU, Brown averaged 18.0 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Turnovers were a problem, though, as her 129 last year (4.4 per game) were the second-most in the Big 12.

Another notable addition is Rashunda Jones, who averaged 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists as a sophomore at Purdue. The year prior, she made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

MSU also got an international transfer from guard Sara Sambolic. She had previously been attending the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and is a part of her country's senior national team.

There is also forward Marah Dykstra, who was previously at Montana State. Across the last two years there, she averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 points, and 2.3 assists per game and was an All-Big Sky honoree twice.

Michigan State Spartans head coach Robyn Fralick calls out to her team Thursday, March 6, 2025, in a round two game at the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan State Spartans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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