Fralick, MSU Have Their Opponent for Big Ten Tournament

Michigan State women's basketball, the 6-seed in the Big Ten Tournament, will face 11-seeded Iowa Thursday night.

Feb 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Robyn Fralick reacts against the UCLA Bruins in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With Iowa's dominant 81-54 win over Wisconsin on Wednesday, Michigan State women's basketball has its opponent for the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

The 6-seeded Spartans will face the 11-seeded Hawkeyes on Thursday night.

Michigan State narrowly bested Iowa back in December when the Hawkeyes were ranked 21st in the nation. The Spartans had three players finish in double figures, including graduate guard Julia Ayrault, who posted a game-high 19 points.

Iowa, of course, has won the last three tournament titles, last year having edged Nebraska in overtime of the championship game, led by the efforts of Caitlyn Clark, who finished with 34 points and 12 assists.

Things are much different now with Clark having moved on to the next level, but Hawkeye fans are still expected to show up and show out when Iowa goes up against the Spartans on Thursday.

"They travel well," said Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick when she addressed the media on Tuesday. "It's not that far. They have a great fanbase. So, that will add to the tournament atmosphere, for sure.

"I think that's something we're used to, though. I mean, all season long, whether we've been home or away, we've been playing with a crowd, which is -- I love that, I love that about our league, I love that about where women's basketball is right now."

The path to a conference title won't be an easy one for the Spartans. If they manage to get through Iowa, they will then have to face 3-seeded Ohio State on Friday. And if they pull off an upset in that one, they would likely go up against 2-seed UCLA, which was the No. 1 team in the nation for the majority of the season.

"I don't think there's any easy games in the Big Ten," Fralick said.

Every game matters at this point. The Spartans have an opportunity to add to their impressive resume with a strong conference tournament run, but it will start with getting the job done against Iowa.

Thursday's contest is set for 9 p.m. and will be televised on Big Ten Network.

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