At Michigan State University, where basketball is a cornerstone of its athletic identity, players are revered. With few athletes staying for four years, senior night at the Breslin Center is always an emotional and gratitude-filled occasion.
In the final game of the regular season, the MSU women’s basketball team capped off a historic year with a victory while honoring four seniors: guards Jaddan Simmons and Nyla Hampton and forwards Jocelyn Tate and Julia Ayrault.
After a hard-fought game, the seniors received tribute videos and framed jerseys to mark their final home appearance. The Breslin Center crowd cheered throughout, celebrating four players who were instrumental in MSU’s second consecutive 20-win season.
“Such a special day for our program,” head coach Robyn Fralick said. “Our last regular season game, playing a tough team in Minnesota and then, bigger than that, just being able to celebrate these four seniors that have meant so much to our program and so much to our team and so much to this place.”
Each senior, however, has a different story. 2024-25 was the first season Simmons and Hampton spent as a Spartan, transferring from Arizona State and Ball State. Tate spent two seasons at MSU following Fralick in her transition from Bowling Green to East Lansing, while Ayrault was the lone senior to spend her entire career as a Spartan, which included an extra year.
For Fralick, how each player arrived at MSU wasn’t as important as the relationships they built while there.
“They all have a different story,” Fralick said. “They’ve all been here a different amount of time, but they are all just first class people. Coaching has all of its challenges, but when you get to be around great, great kids, you just feel like the luckiest.”
Although different pathways to MSU, two seniors have similar roots. Jocelyn Tate and Nyla Hampton both played under Fralick while at Bowling Green, while Hampton spent one year at Ball State following the coaching departure, Tate followed Fralick to East Lansing.
Reuniting with both did not cross the mind of Fralick when coming to MSU, but she expressed just how happy she was that it did happen following the senior night victory.
“I was so fortunate to coach them at Bowling Green and our last season there together, we had a great team, I mean a really, really high level connected great team,” Fralick said. “And when the opportunity came to come to Michigan State, that was emotional. Those are kids we felt really passionate about and loved, and loved that team I thought was extra, extra special.”
In her lone season at MSU, Hampton averaged 5.0 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. A former MAC Defensive Player of the Year and three-time all-defensive team selection, her impact extended beyond the box score. A defensive anchor, Hampton played a crucial role in MSU’s high-pressure defense while facilitating the offense.
Tate spent two seasons with MSU, averaging 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals while dawning the green and white. Recruited by Fralick, Tate spent her first two seasons at Bowling Green before joining her coach, proving herself to be a true hustle player on both ends of the floor and reliable on any given night.
The other senior who transferred in was Jaddan Simmons, who spent four seasons at Arizona State before transferring to MSU with her final year of eligibility. In her lone season as a Spartan, Simmons averaged 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Present everywhere on the court, Simmons was one of the few safety nets for a deep Spartan team.
Although only spending one year in East Lansing, Simmons reflected on the bond she has built with her team.
“I hang out with these guys everyday, and we just keep building and growing,” Simmons said. “I think the seniors have shown that they really just want to take that next step for the last year, and I think we’ll do that.”
Each senior played a vital role, but Ayrault’s impact on the program was particularly significant.
A five-year Spartan, Ayrault averaged 9.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. She broke out in her final two seasons, surpassing 1,000 career points and earning First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2023-24.
When a new coach arrives, former players tend to leave, but Ayrault remained at MSU following Fralick’s hire. It’s something that Fralick expressed immense gratitude for when reflection on her career.
“We are so lucky. We’re so lucky to coach Julia, we’re so lucky Julia is a Spartan.” Fralick said. “I could give a million words to describe her, but if I could give one word, it would be Spartan. She loves Michigan State, she loves this university, she loves these people, she loves this program.”
The list goes on, but for Ayrault, MSU has been the place where she has reignited her love for basketball, grew from a child to adult while also building numerous relationships.
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“It’s hard for me to put into words just kind of everything I feel and just how much this place has meant to me,” Ayrault said. “I think the most important part is just the people I’ve been able to meet, and relationships and stuff. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”
Though their time at Breslin is over, the four seniors will continue their season in the Big Ten Tournament (March 5-9) before heading to the NCAA Tournament.
