Once conference tournaments crown champions and brackets are set, the regular season becomes an afterthought. Records and rankings no longer matter — all that matters is which team shows up at tipoff.
Michigan State women’s basketball begins its postseason journey in Norman, Oklahoma, as the No. 5 seed in the Sacramento Region and will face No. 12 Colorado State, the Mountain West Tournament champion, in the first round. The winner will play either No. 4 Oklahoma or No. 13 Idaho for a trip to Sacramento and the Sweet 16.
No. 12 Colorado State | Lockdown Defense
Alongside a nine-game win streak dating back to Feb. 14, CSU is a team characterized by two things: ball security and a stifling defense — a mix of qualities that brought the Rams to their first NCAA Tournament since 2016.
They rank first in the nation in turnovers per game with just 10.4, while holding their opponents to just 35% shooting from the field, ranked seventh in the nation. A lockdown defense that has held opponents to just 54.9 points per game throughout the season, also good enough for seventh in the nation.
The question becomes: Will the defense stand strong against one of the best offenses in the nation?
With the Spartans averaging 83 points per game while shooting 48% from the field and 37% from 3-point range on the season, they are one of the most efficient offenses in the NCAA. All those statistics rank among the top 10 in the country, but the team has struggled since February.
At times, they were out-talented, and other times out-played, with the main culprit being offensive struggles. That was on full display in the team's past two games — an 87-68 loss to Ohio State and a disappointing Big Ten Tournament loss to Illinois.
In both matchups, MSU's offense sputtered for long stretches. Against Ohio State, they shot just 28% from the field in the first half and barely improved to 37% in the first half against Illinois.
As head coach Robyn Fralick has preached throughout the season, the team plays better when they share the ball. They rank 10th in the nation with 18.2 assists per game, and when the ball is flying across the court, it allows them to play a fast-paced, exciting brand of basketball.
