The Michigan State Spartans women's basketball team is the intercollegiate women's basketball program representing Michigan State University. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Spartans play home basketball games at the Breslin Student Events Center on the university campus in East Lansing, Michigan.

History The Spartans began play in 1972. In 1991, the Spartans made their first ever NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, their first postseason appearance since the 1977 AIAW women's basketball tournament. In 2005, the Spartans won 33 games (a school record), advancing all the way to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament championship, before losing 84–62 to Baylor. The Spartans have been to 21 NCAA Tournaments in their history, with their most recent trip coming in 2026.

Coaching history Source: Coach Years Record Conferencerecord Conferencetitles Mikki Baile 1972–1975 32–12 0–0 0 Dominic Marino 1975–1976 6–16 0–0 0 Karen Langeland 1976–2000 376–290 156–165 1 Joanne P. McCallie 2000–2007 149–75 68–44 1 Suzy Merchant 2007–2023 327–187 159-112 2 Robyn Fralick 2023–Present 55-20 23-14 0 Totals 945–600 406–335 4

Postseason results NCAA Division I The Spartans have made twenty-one appearances in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. Their combined record is 21–21. 1991 #4 Second Round† #5 Oklahoma State L 96–94(3OT) 1996 #9 First RoundSecond Round #8 UMass#1 Connecticut W 60–57(OT)L 88–68 1997 #8 First RoundSecond Round #9 Portland#1 North Carolina W 75–70(OT) L 81–71 2003 #8 First Round #9 TCU L 50–47 2004 #8 First RoundSecond Round #9 Arizona#1 Texas W 72–60L 80–61 2005 #1 First RoundSecond RoundSweet SixteenElite EightFinal FourChampionship Game #16 Alcorn State#8 USC#5 Vanderbilt#2 Stanford#1 Tennessee#2 Baylor W 73–41W 61–59W 76–64W 76–69W 68–64L 84–62 2006 #4 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen #13 Wisconsin-Milwaukee#5 Kentucky#1 Duke W 65–46W 67–63L 86–61 2007 #5 First RoundSecond Round #12 Delaware#4 Rutgers W 69–58 L 70–57 2009 #9 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen #8 Middle Tennessee State#1 Duke#4 Iowa State W 60–59W 63–49L 69–68 2010 #5 First RoundSecond Round #12 Bowling Green#4 Kentucky W 72–62 L 70–52 2011 #4 First RoundSecond Round #13 Northern Iowa#5 Green Bay W 69–66L 65–56 2012 #10 First Round #7 Louisville L 67–55 2013 #5 First RoundSecond Round #12 Marist#4 Maryland W 55–47 L 74–49 2014 #5 First RoundSecond Round #12 Hampton#4 North Carolina W 91–61L 62–53 2016 #4 First RoundSecond Round #13 Belmont#5 Mississippi StateW 74–60L 74–72 2017 #9 First Round #8 Arizona State L 73–61 2019 #9 First RoundSecond Round #8 Central Michigan#1 Notre Dame W 89–88L 91–63 2021 #10 First Round #7 Iowa State L 79–722024 #9 First Round #8 North Carolina L 56–592025 #7 First Round Second Round #10 Harvard #2 NC State W 64–50 L 49–83 2026 #5 First Round Second Round #12 Colorado State#4 Oklahoma W 65–62 L 71–77

† The Spartans received a bye into the Second Round.

WNIT The Spartans have made five appearances in the Women's National Invitation Tournament. Their combined record is 12–5. 1999 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinals AkronMichiganWisconsin W 78–65W 69–68L 69–70OT2000 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinals VillanovaCincinnatiWisconsin W 74–62W 88–83L 45–772002 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals DePaulIllinoisAlabamaOregon W 87–76W 70–57W 79–61L 54–652008 First RoundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship Game Bowling GreenKansasMichiganNC StateMarquette W 74–66W 58–54W 45–40W 58–57L 66–812018 First RoundSecond RoundThird Round Wright StateToledoSouth Dakota W 81–50W 68–66L 83–85OT

AIAW Division I The Spartans made one appearance in the AIAW women's basketball tournament, with a combined record of 0–2. 1977 First RoundConsolation First Round TennesseeUtah L, 62–76L, 62–63

Big Ten Medal of Honor 1983 – Karen Wells 1985 – Kelly Belanger 1986 – Julie Polakowski 1990 – Eileen Shea 2006 – Liz Shimek 2010 – Allyssa DeHaan

Big Ten Coach of the Year 1988 – Karen Langeland 2005 – Joanne P. McCallie 2011 – Suzy Merchant

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