Spartans continue busy offseason with commitments from Lauren Walker and Brooklyn Rewers

Suzy Merchant talks with the media/ Photo Credit: MSU Athletic Communications

Nathan Stearns, Sports Editorial Assistant
August 2, 2020

EAST LANSING- After nabbing four transfers during the offseason, Suzy Merchant made some noise on the recruiting trail over the past week with both Lauren Walker and Brooklyn Rewers committing to Michigan State. 

Walker and Rewers both initially committed to Duke earlier in the recruiting cycle, but withdrew their commitments after head coach Joanne McCallie announced her resignation on July 2.

McCallie, who preceded Merchant as the head coach of the Spartans, led MSU to a national championship berth in 2005. In seven years as the Spartans’ head coach, she accumulated a sterling overall record of 149-75 and a conference record of 69-45.

Walker is a 6-foot-2 wing who is originally from Marietta, Georgia.  She earned all state-honors after averaging 14.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game during her junior year.   

Despite being a dominant physical force on the court, Walker sometimes struggled to shoot with efficiency, as evidenced by her 38% overall shooting percentage. She will need to improve upon that middling percentage going into her final year of high school.

Walker also shot 30% from three last season.

Rewers, on the other hand, is the younger sister of MSU transfer Lauren Rewers who chose MSU after spending the last three seasons playing for Hawaii.  She is a dominating rim-protecting presence who was named an all-state selection in Idaho after averaging 18.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game as a junior. Rewers hails from Lake City, Idaho and stands at a towering 6-foot-4.

Walker and Rewers are the second and third recruits that Merchant has seized for 2021. Isaline Alexander, a 6-foot-2 Canadian center, announced her future intentions back in late April.