3 Things to Know as MSU Women Square Off With Michigan

The men's team is not the only team set for a big-time rivalry matchup this weekend.

Michigan State's women's team has had a fantastic season as well. The Spartans are up to 13th in the AP Poll, the program's highest ranking since 2011, and are 19-2 overall and 8-2 during Big Ten play. They're heading into a big clash against No. 9 Michigan (18-3 overall, 9-1 Big Ten) on Sunday.

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

Sunday's game, set for noon ET on FS1, is just the second time ever that UM and MSU are meeting while being ranked at the same time. This is the first time the Wolverines and Spartans are squaring off as two top-15 teams.

Here are a couple of other things to know about one of the biggest regular season games in some time for Michigan State women's basketball:

Rise of Kennedy Blair

The most improved player for the Spartans is Kennedy Blair. She's in her redshirt sophomore season and has gone from averaging 3.4 points per game last year to 13.4 this year. It's not only the scoring, but Blair is also averaging 7.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game this year as well.

Blair is from Dearborn and was a part of head coach Robyn Fralick's first recruiting class at Michigan State. She actually began her career at MSU as a walk-on and redshirted as a true freshman due to a foot injury. Given her current production running the Spartans' offense, it seems like Fralick found a gem.

High-Powered Offenses

Michigan guard Olivia Olson (1) drives to the basket during the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament between Michigan and Iowa State at Purcell Pavilion on Friday, March 21, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

These teams score quite a bit. Michigan State ranks eighth in the country in scoring offense, averaging 86.0 points per game. The Wolverines are above that, ranking sixth at 87.5 points per game.

It's going to take a lot of points to win this game. The defenses are decent, but it's not a top-2 defensive battle like the men's game on Friday. On Torvik, UM's defense ranks fifth, and Michigan State's defense is 29th.

Injuries for MSU

Two notable players for Michigan State have also been dealing with injuries. One big loss for the Spartans is forward Isaline Alexander, who is out for the remainder of the season and already has a long injury history. She had been contributing 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game through 13 appearances this season.

Another Spartan who has been limited is guard Theryn Hallock, who is one of the cornerstones of the current program and roster. She's only been limited to eight games this year, playing in MSU's first seven contests before missing a month. Hallock then came back on Dec. 28 against Rutgers, but hasn't played since. She has averaged 10.6 points and 2.3 steals per game this year.

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