Michigan State women’s basketball opens a new season Tuesday night with a familiar formula: a home game, a fresh roster and another chance to see how Robyn Fralick’s program looks in Year 4.
The Spartans tip off the 2026-27 campaign against Valparaiso at 6:30 p.m. at the Breslin Center. Michigan State is coming off a 23-9 season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and the matchup with the Beacons marks the earliest season opener in program history, with the Spartans starting on Nov.
- Last year’s opener came on Nov. 4, and the 2024-25 season began Nov.
Fralick enters her fourth season with a strong track record already in place. Michigan State has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of her first three years and has advanced to the second round in the last two. She owns a 67-28 record at MSU.
The Spartans are bringing in plenty of new faces, with nine newcomers on the roster, but they also return a couple of key pieces. Junior guard Kennedy Blair and graduate guard Theryn Hallock are back, with Hallock returning after missing much of last season because of injury.
Blair arrives with some preseason recognition already in hand. She was named to the 2027 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and WBCA Preseason Watch List for the Nancy Lieberman Award.
Last season, Blair earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors after ranking fourth in the league in assists at 5.2 per game. She also finished third in the Big Ten in steals at 2.4 per game and led Michigan State with 14.5 points per game.
Blair was one of two Spartans to start all 32 games and also picked up CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Michigan State’s roster has a distinct international feel this season. The Spartans added Australians Tabitha Betson and Monique Bobongie, with Betson arriving after two seasons at Colorado.
They also brought in freshmen Kathy-Emma Otto and Emma Broliron from France. Returning to the team are senior Sara Sambolić from Slovenia and graduate student Isaline Alexander.
Tuesday’s game is just the second meeting between Michigan State and Valparaiso. The Spartans beat the Beacons 73-62 in East Lansing on Nov.
16, 2021. In that game, Michigan State got 18 points from future All-American Nia Clouden.
Valparaiso comes in after one exhibition, an 82-43 win over Judson on Oct. 26.
The Beacons return Allia von Schlegell and Autumn Dibb, both of whom played in all 32 games last season. Von Schlegell is Valpo’s top returning scorer after averaging 11.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
The roster also includes eight newcomers, among them six transfers - four with Division I experience - and two true freshmen.
Courtney Boyd is in her second season leading Valparaiso. The Beacons went 0-32 in her first year, and Boyd owns a 180-100 career record.
Michigan State’s lone exhibition offered a strong preview. The Spartans rolled past Michigan Tech 100-53 on Oct. 28 at the Breslin Center, with five players scoring in double figures.
Freshman guard Monique Bobongie led the way with 21 points, while senior transfer Carter McCray scored 20 in her MSU debut. Blair added 13, junior forward Tabitha Betson had 12 and Hallock finished with 11.
Thirteen of the 15 Spartans who suited up saw action.
Michigan Tech was led by 16 points from Kaitlyn Maxwell. The game also featured a family connection, with sophomore guard Anna Wypych facing her sister, MTU senior Alyssa Wypych.
MSU associate head coach Kim Cameron and assistant coach Maria Kasza both previously coached at Michigan Tech. It was the second straight season the teams met in an exhibition, after Michigan State won 101-58 last year.
The Spartans’ schedule quickly turns into a road test after Tuesday. Michigan State visits Toledo on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. before returning home to play Oakland on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
The Big Ten will again use an 18-game conference schedule for the sixth straight season. Michigan State also played 18 league games in 2018-19, 2019-20, 2015-16 and 2014-15.
MSU could face as many as 13 NCAA Tournament teams from last season, including a possible meeting with Virginia Tech in the Emerald Coast Classic. The Spartans’ Big Ten slate includes Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington, all of whom reached the NCAA Tournament last season.
UCLA enters as the defending national champion. Michigan State will also face Gonzaga at the Acrisure Classic Series in Palm Springs, California.
Fralick added another notable accomplishment over the summer, helping the USA Women’s U18 National Team win gold as an assistant coach at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup in Irapuato, Mexico.
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