3/12/2023 basketball Edit

Michigan State women’s basketball declines WNIT after season of adversity

Sparty interacts with the crowd during a Michigan State home game at the Breslin Center (Marvin Hall - Spartan Illustrated)

Kevin Knight • Spartans Illustrated

Asst. Managing Editor

Native Michigander & Hillsdale graduate who has covered MSU athletics since 2020 & fan since childhood. Lived in DC since 2011, husband to a Neb. guy, beagle dad, transportation policy work by day.

The Michigan State women's basketball team was widely projected to have earned a trip to the 2023 WNIT, but the team has chosen not to accept it. Following a season of extreme adversity, the Spartans will miss postseason play for the second-straight season and pass on a bid for the first time since 2015.

The team also opted not to participate in the WNIT in 2015 and the absence in postseason tournament competition marks just the third time since 2001 that MSU will not participate in either the NCAA Tournament or WNIT. Michigan State last participated in the WNIT in 2018 and has earned bids to the NCAA Tournament each season it was held from 2018-2021 before missing postseason play in 2022.

Kara Fisher, the assistant director of communications for MSU Athletics, confirmed the program’s decision with Spartans Illustrated on Sunday night.

"With the hardships the team has faced this season — between the shootings and Coach (Suzy) Merchant's absence — they decided to end the season," Fisher said.

The Spartans have been without head coach Suzy Merchant following a medical issue she experienced in late January prior to the team's trip to take on Illinois in Champaign on Jan. 29. Merchant has been taking an extended leave of absence to focus on her recovery with acting head coach Dean Lockwood filling in.

Then on Feb. 13, the Michigan State campus in East Lansing experienced tragedy as a lone gunman took the lives of three Spartans and critically injured five others. Amongst the grief and time of mourning for the campus community, including athletics, the women's team canceled its game at Purdue scheduled for Feb. 15.

Michigan State closed out the season with a 16-14 overall record and a 7-10 mark in Big Ten play. The Spartans advanced to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, losing to No. 1-seeded Indiana on Friday, March 3 after defeating No. 8-seeded Nebraska on Thursday in the second round.