MSU Women's Basketball Falls to Rival Michigan

Michigan State lost, 71-61, to Michigan on Sunday, dropping its second consecutive game at the Breslin Center.

Michigan State's head coach Robyn Fralick reacts after the Spartans were called for a technical foul during the third quarter in the game against Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State women’s basketball lost by double digits, 71-61, to its bitter rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, at home on Sunday.

Spartan junior forward Grace VanSlooten led the team in scoring with 15 points after getting elevated to the starting five. However, that wasn’t enough for Michigan State to finish the job.

The Spartans struggled to score, shooting just 31 percent from the field. Michigan State shot better from deep, connecting on 35 percent of its 3-point attempts. 

The Spartans’ leading scorer on the year, graduate guard Julia Ayrault, struggled, shooting 20 percent from the field, but still contributed 10 points. 

Michigan freshman guard Syla Swords was the difference for the Wolverines. Swords led the game with 19 points and six assists while also grabbing six rebounds in 37 minutes.

After winning their first 10 games at the Breslin Center, the Spartans have lost their last two, their previous home loss having come against the Oregon Ducks.

This is Spartans coach Robyn Fralick’s first loss to the Wolverines, as she swept the in-state rival in her first season and won the first matchup this season in blowout fashion.

Michigan State still holds a slight half-game advantage over Michigan in the Big Ten standings. The Spartans currently hold the No. 6 spot in the standings, with a record of 8-4 in conference play. 

With the loss, the Spartans didn’t fall that far in this week's Associated Press Top 25, sliding down two spots from No. 20 to No. 22. The Wolverines are still on the outside looking in, receiving six votes in the most recent poll.

The Spartans have a tough road ahead, playing three of their last six games against top-10 teams. That will include a West Coast road trip to Los Angeles, where they will take on the No. 1 UCLA Bruins and the No. 6 USC Trojans.

Then, Michigan State will have to face the No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes, a team it hasn't beaten since 2020, losing the last six meetings.

The Spartans host the Wisconsin Badgers, who are 2-11 in Big Ten play, on Wednesday at the Breslin Center. This will be a key game for Michigan State to get back in the win column.

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