TV Info, Quick Facts on MSU Women's NCAA Clash vs. Colorado State

The men won on Thursday, and now the women are seeking to do the same on Thursday.

Michigan State women's basketball is a 5-seed in this year's NCAA Tournament, the program's best seed since 2016. The Spartans are in Norman, Okla. (hosted by 4-seed Oklahoma), where they will face 12th-seeded Colorado State in the first round. Here's how you can watch:

TV Info

Michigan State's Jalyn Brown (23) dribbles the ball during a game against UCLA at the Breslin Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV Channel: ESPNews

Michigan State's Jalyn Brown waves during the senior night ceremony after MSU's win over Northwestern on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Announcers: Sam Gore (play-by-play); Tamika Catchings (analyst)

Quick Preview of Matchup

Michigan State's Kennedy Blair cheers on the crowd at the end of the second quarter in the game against Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CSU has reached this point largely due to its defense. The Rams rank seventh in the entire country in scoring defense, allowing only 54.9 points per game. Their opponents have only made 35.0% of their shots this season, which ranks seventh in the country.

Colorado State also takes care of the ball. Turnovers are more frequent in women's hoops than in men's, but the Rams' 10.4 turnovers per game are actually the fewest in the country. One reason for that and the defensive numbers is the very slow tempo. According to analytics site Torvik, CSU ranks 342nd (out of 363 teams) in adjusted tempo.

Michigan State's Grace VanSlooten, left, slaps hands with Marah Dykstra after a play against Maryland during the second quarter on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the tough hits for the Rams, though, is that they will be without star player Lexus Barngesser. The former Indiana transfer averaged 15.2 points per game this season and made 41% of her threes, but she suffered a season-ending injury during CSU's Mountain West semifinal game against UNLV.

That Colorado State defense against the Michigan State offense will be the story. MSU scores 83.0 points per game, which ranks 10th in the country. The Spartans are also 10th nationally in a couple of other key offensive categories: assists per game (18.2) and three-point percentage (36.9%).

Michigan State's Rashunda Jones (1) looks to pass during a game against UCLA at the Breslin Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Kennedy Blair's rise is a reason MSU is in this spot. She played sparingly last year and actually began her collegiate career at Michigan State as a walk-on, but she has exploded this season as a redshirt sophomore. Blair does a little bit of everything, averaging 14.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.

The Spartans have experienced a steady climb under the head coach, who has led MSU to March Madness in three consecutive seasons. Michigan State was a 9-seed in Year 1, a 5-seed in Year 2, and is now a 5-seed. It also lost in the first round in Year 1 but made it to the second round in Year 2. To keep progressing, the Spartans must put it together in this one.

Michigan State's head coach Robyn Fralick speaks during the senior night ceremony after MSU's win over Northwestern on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images