EAST LANSING, MI. — No. 13 Michigan State women’s basketball is headed in the right direction in the national rankings, climbing up two spots after going 1-1 last week. The Spartans are set to welcome in a West Coast foe, USC, to the Breslin Center, as MSU looks to get back in the win column.
This will be the fifth all-time meeting between these squads. History has not been kind to the Green and White, with Sparty only winning one game in program history against the Trojans. The 2026 version of the matchup will be the second time ever USC and MSU will have met in East Lansing, as the first time occurred in 1992, when the Trojans won that meeting.
Michigan State has been on a roll as of late, besides its last game at Iowa. The nine-game win streak the Spartans were on came to a halt, taking a 75-68 defeat to the Hawkeyes. Now the test for head coach Robyn Fralick’s squad will be responding to the loss and bouncing back.
For USC, it hasn’t been the year its fans were hoping for. At the end of the Trojans’ incredible 31-4 season last year, standout guard JuJu Watkins tore her ACL in a second round NCAA Tournament game. Watkins hasn’t played since and doesn’t have a specific timetable for her return.
Without USC’s star, the Trojans began the season 10-3, but have been on a skid as of late, going 1-4 in its last five outings, leading to the 11-7 overall record. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s team is coming off a blowout win against Purdue and hopes to carry that momentum into a tough road matchup.
Michigan State will not be taking USC lightly. Junior guard Rashunda Jones knows this is a huge game for herself and her teammates, not only because of the opponent but because of how she wants MSU to start handling each matchup.
“This game is really big, not only because of who they are, but just because of who we want to be,” Jones said. “We want to be a team that takes it game by game and not worry about who we’re playing necessarily… if we stick to us, then we know that we can beat other people.”
Jones is one of the Spartans’ most consistent players, averaging almost 13 points and four assists per game. However, in her latest outing against Iowa, she only put up nine points and two assists. Fralick’s point guard will need to perform at her best against a Trojans team that has multiple high-level guards.
Redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is another player for the Green and White who needs to get back on track. Blair tied her lowest scoring game of the season against the Hawkeyes, notching just four. Blair has been a catalyst for MSU this year, averaging 12.9 points and 7 rebounds per game. The guard play from both Blair and Jones will prove to be crucial if the Spartans want their 18th win of the season.
USC’s freshman guard Jazzy Davidson is going to be a tough cover for Michigan State. Out of high school, Davidson was the No. 1-ranked player in ESPN’s 2025 high school basketball class. She’s lived up to her ranking so far, reaching double-digit points in every game besides one this year, averaging 16. Davidson can also perform well in other facets of the game. She’s averaging just under seven boards, 3.8 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game. The Trojans will need Davidson to have her usual impact on the floor if they want to fight on to a road upset victory.
Coach Fralick is not only challenging her players to play at their highest level but is also asking the Spartan faithful to show out and create their effect on the outcome of the game.
“It’s going to be dark; it’s going to be cold,” Fralick said. “There’s going to be nothing better to do. There’s no Netflix series; there’s nothing better. It’s going to be warm in the Breslin, there’s going to be snacks, and there’s going to be good basketball. Absolutely show up. Support these women”.
The game is scheduled to tipoff at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21 in East Lansing. Josh Lee and Brian Rivers will be on the call, and the game can be listened to locally on 88.9 FM or at https://impact89fm.org/.
