Simmons finished with a season-high 18 points, adding three steals, five rebounds and five assists on 6-for-8 shooting from the field, 3-for-5 from three and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. She was the leading scorer for the Spartans.

Having the opportunity to contribute to the team’s success this season is important to Simmons, a transfer from Arizona State.

"It meant a lot to me too, just because I haven't been a part of something like that," Simmons said. "I haven't had a start like that to a season, so I think it just brings a lot of confidence, and it shows how much the team is together."

Simmons had accolades before joining the Spartans for the 2024-25 season. She was named Pac 12 All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention, reached collegiate 1,000 points as a senior and finished her time at ASU ranked No. 17 on the all-time scoring list with 1,136 points.

When deciding where she wanted to continue her career, Simmons was looking for a team that could win and where she would fit into the school’s atmosphere.

"I think I was looking for a team with depth, it didn't have to be just the five that started that play the most, man," Simmons said. "So, I think just coming here, it's exactly what I expected, and I mean, I'm happy with it so far." 

MSU head coach Robyn Fralick expressed how effective Simmons' game is on both sides of the ball.

"You know defensively, she's a really accountable defender," Fralick said. "And then offensively, as I shared, they were really packing the paint and I just thought she did a great job of picking her spots, when to attack, when to finish, when to shoot and it was really, really efficient."

Three other Spartans scored in double-digits. Graduate guard Julia Ayrault scored 17 points with 12 rebounds, guard Emma Shumate scored 12 points and forward Jocelyn Tate tallied 10.

The Spartans will be back in action on Sunday, Dec. 15 at Breslin Center to take on Iowa, their first Big Ten Conference opponent of the season. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Network.