Last season, MSU improved offensively from the year prior, shooting 49% from the field and 37% from three. In 2022-2023, the final season under former head coach Suzy Merchant, the Spartans shot 43% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc. The Spartans were also the second-best scoring team in the Big Ten last season, ranked only behind Iowa, averaging 82.8 points per game. 

As a 4-seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Spartans lost 73-61 in their first game to a hot Nebraska team that made the tournament final against Iowa. MSU drew a 9-seed in March Madness and played 8-seed North Carolina in Charleston, SC, where it wound up losing by three in the Round of 64.

Even with the loss of lead guard DeeDee Hagemann to the transfer portal and fifth year captain Moira Joiner to graduation, MSU has the opportunity this winter to build on the foundation it laid in Fralick's first year. 

This winter, MSU will play 18 Big Ten conference games. With the additions of Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, the Spartans will only play one team twice next year: in-state rival University of Michigan.

In 2024-2025, MSU will play eight Big Ten teams that made the NCAA tournament this March: Indiana, Nebraska, Iowa, USC, Maryland, Ohio State, Michigan and UCLA.

“I'm excited for this upcoming year," freshman criminal justice major Beverley Hay said. "I think we will continue to build upon last year and compete with the best in the Big Ten."

MSU couldn't grab a win against the Big Ten's best last season, though it came close. The Spartans nearly upset Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes on the road Jan. 2, falling to a Clark buzzer-beater from three. They also were competitive against contenders Indiana and Ohio State.

There is hope among MSU students that the Spartans can challenge the conference's top teams this winter. Even with the amount of talent around the Big Ten, freshman biosystems major Gwen Geiger said MSU has the skill to compete.

“I think the women's basketball team is going to be great this year. We have size, speed and good team connection,” Geiger said. “I would say that we have a fighting chance to do very well this year.”

Michigan State will bring back graduate senior guard/forward Julia Ayrault, who led the team in scoring last season, a major plus for the Spartans. In the backcourt, MSU returns junior guards Theryn Hallock and Abbey Kimball. The close friends and AAU teammates growing up will have bigger roles on the team after key departures.

Fralick was active in the transfer portal this offseason, adding Arizona State two-way guard Jaddan Simmons and junior forward Grace VanSlooten from Oregon. 

VanSlooten was the leading scorer on an underperforming Oregon squad last year, averaging 15 points and 7.1 rebounds while starting all 31 games. Across two years at Oregon, the versatile forward was given All-Pac-12 honorable mentions both seasons.

Simmons has one year of eligibility remaining. The former Sun Devil averaged 9.5 points per game, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in her final season at Arizona State. Simmons also reached the 1,000-point mark for her career and moved to 17th all-time in program scoring. Simmons was also named a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention for the second year in a row. 

“It should be a fun and competitive season,” freshman animal science major Mira Kelley said.