Michigan State Women’s Basketball picks up commitment from Davis twins, extends Suzy Merchant’s contract

Michigan State women’s basketball had a big weekend with plenty happening. The first big news of the weekend came on Friday when Michigan State Athletics announced that head coach Suzy Merchant’s contract had been extended through 2027.

Merchant is currently entering her 16th season as head coach of the Spartans. She has compiled a 311-173 overall record with a 152-102 mark in Big Ten action. Her teams have won two Big Ten season titles in 2011 and 2014 along, with her earning Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2011.

Merchant has led her team to 10 NCAA Tournaments and two WNIT appearances, including a runner-up finish in her first season as head coach in the 2008 WNIT and the Sweet Sixteen in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

Davis twins commit

Class of 2024 West Bloomfield recruits Indya and Summer Davis gave their verbal commitment to Michigan State on Saturday. Indya, a guard, and Summer, a point guard, are both four-star recruits, per ESPN.

As of now, both sit just outside the 2024 HoopGurlz Super 60. The Davis twins are both big additions to the recruiting class and should prove key additions to the roster in a few years when they arrive on campus. It also marks a rare moment that a program picks up two elite prospects at the same time.

Spartans defeat Saginaw Valley Sunday

In the team’s only exhibition action, Michigan State defeated Saginaw Valley State University 90-56 on Sunday at the Breslin Center. Merchant was the head coach at SVSU from 1995-1998 before being hired by Eastern Michigan and later Michigan State. Newcomer Clemson transfer Gabby Elliott finished tied for the lead in points with 14 and led in rebounds with eight.

Tied with Elliott for points was Baylor graduate transfer Kamaria McDaniel, who also added 14 points. Freshman guard Theryn Hallock added 13 points in a standout performance as well.

The Spartans showed plenty of room for improvement despite the final score. In the first half, Michigan State went just 11-for-40 from the floor with seven turnovers. The defensive end was the strong point, though, forcing 19 turnovers and notching 19 points off them.

At the half, MSU led by just eight, but the third quarter saw a strong offensive performance as Michigan State went on to outscore the Cardinals 30-18.

Michigan State opens the season next Monday, Nov. 7. The Spartans tip off against Delaware State at the Breslin Center at noon.