Tag: Suzy Merchant

Breaking: Michigan State Women’s Basketball coach Suzy Merchant stepping down from role

Michigan State Women’s Basketball coach Suzy Merchant stepping down from role

After 16 years, Michigan State Women’s Basketball coach Suzy Merchant is stepping down from her role. According to a statement from the University, her and Director of Athletics Alan Haller made a mutual decision for Merchant to step down from the position.

Associate head coach Dean Lockwood will serve as interim head coach while a coaching search is conducted for her replacement.

“We are grateful to Coach Suzy Merchant for her contributions to Michigan State women’s basketball and Spartan Athletics over the last 16 seasons,” Haller said. “We appreciate everything Coach Merchant has meant to our community. Her two Big Ten titles and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances provided lasting memories. Beyond the team’s on-court success, she invested considerable time and energy into our local community as a leader and a role model for young people.”

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Michigan State women’s basketball listed in ESPN’s ‘Way-Too-Early Top 25’

Michigan State’s women’s basketball squad is expected to enter the 2021-22 season ranked, according to Charlie Creme of ESPN.

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Michigan State’s women’s basketball squad is expected to enter the 2021-22 season ranked, according to Charlie Creme of ESPN.

ESPN released their “Way-Too-Early Top 25” rankings on Monday, and the Spartans cracked the list. Michigan State was listed at No. 21 in Creme’s rankings.

Here’s what Creme had to say about the Spartans:

Sophomore guard Nia Clouden (18.7 PPG) will appear on some preseason All-American teams next year. Freshman guard Alyza Winston (11.1 PPG) has all-Big Ten potential. The Spartans’ backcourt will be one of the best in the conference and gives coach Suzy Merchant a solid foundation of what should be a veteran team.

Michigan State was one of six Big Ten teams to be listed in Creme’s rankings. Click here to see the complete rankings.

Michigan State was knocked out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this past season.

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MSU Women’s Basketball upsets 2-seed Indiana to advance in Big Ten Tournament

Michigan State has advanced in the Big Ten Tournament after knocking off 2-seed Indiana.

Fans of Michigan State Basketball did get some great news on Thursday after all. The MSU Women’s Basketball team was able to upset No. 2 seed Indiana to advance in the Big Ten Tournament behind a 27-point second half from Nia Clouden. The final score was 69-61.

Clouden finished with 30 points, overcoming a tough first half to lead her Spartans to victory. Alyza Winston added 13 points.  Alisia Smith led the team with 8 rebounds to go along with 6 points. Head coach Suzy Merchant was also able to get 13 strong minutes from the injured Taiyier Parks, who scored 4 points and added 5 rebounds, much of which came in crunch time.

The Spartans will now face either Iowa or Rutgers as they continue to advance in the Big Ten Tournament.

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Michigan State Women’s Basketball beats Penn State, advances in Big Ten Tournament

Michigan State Women’s Basketball will advance in the Big Ten Tournament after knocking off Penn State.

The No. 7-seed Michigan State Women’s Basketball team is moving forward in the Big Ten Tournament.

The Spartans beat No. 10-seed Penn State 75-66 behind the heroics of Alyza Winston, who scored 23 to lead MSU to the next round of play. Nia Clouden was also able to shake off an awful three-game stretch to score 18 points. Moira Joiner and Taiyier Parks also scored in double digits.

This was a close game for most of the contest, until Winston broke out to lead the Spartans on a 12-2 run to lead them to a match-up against No. 2 Indiana at 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

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Nia Clouden named to All-Big Ten Women’s Basketball First Team

The women’s All-Big Ten first team was announced today and Michigan State guard Nia Clouden made both the coaches and media first team.

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The women’s All-Big Ten first team was announced today and Michigan State junior guard Nia Clouden made both the coaches and media first team. She is the first Spartan to make both the media and coaches first team since Tori Jankoska did in the 2016-17 season.

Clouden averaged 18 points per game on 46.2 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc. She also averaged 3.9 rebounds per game and 4.2 assists per game this season. Clouden was previously named to the second team in 2019-20 and honorable mention in her freshman season in 2018-19.

Clouden has had a memorable and accomplished career so far at Michigan State. She looks to have a bright future in basketball and could perhaps play in the WNBA one day.

What is also notable is that Suzy Merchant, over her 14 seasons as head coach of MSU, has had 46 All-Big Ten selections and had at least two players earn All-Big Ten honors in 13 of 14 seasons.

The No. 7-seeded Spartans will take on the No. 10-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. EST at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Michigan State women’s basketball game vs. Michigan postponed due to COVID-19

Michigan State women’s basketball’s matchup against Michigan is postponed.

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It was bound to happen eventually, but the Michigan State athletics program has finally been hit hard with COVID-19. The men’s basketball team already postponed two games, and the women’s team announced the postponement of Monday’s game against Michigan.

Fans will need to wait to watch Suzy Merchant’s squad, which features a supremely talented scorer, Nia Clouden, play one of its biggest rivalry games of the season.

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Michigan State Women’s Basketball rises to No. 23 in latest AP Poll

The unbeaten Michigan State Women’s Basketball team finally rising up the AP Poll rankings.

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After being stuck at No. 25 for two weeks, the Michigan State Women’s Basketball is finally rising up the AP Poll. The team beat Purdue yesterday 71-64 to earn a rise up the AP Poll to No. 23 overall.

The Spartans, coached by Suzy Merchant and led by scorching hot guard Nia Clouden, are now 8-0 on the season and obviously undefeated in conference play.

They will face their biggest of the season on Thursday when they host No. 12 Maryland.

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Michigan State Women’s Basketball releases 2020-21 schedule

The Michigan State Women’s Basketball team has announced their 2020-21 schedule, which begins this Friday.

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Suzy Merchant and the Michigan State Women’s Basketball team has really started to build up a competitive program in the Big Ten.

Merchant made a splash on the recruiting trail this summer when 2021 5-star guard Damiya Hagemann committed to the Spartans, and they are also poised to make a strong run in 2020 behind their star junior Nia Clouden. Clouden was recently named to the preseason All-Big Ten team, and deservedly so after leading the team with 14.5 points per game last year.

The team released their 2020-21 schedule on Monday, which you can see below. Their season will open this Friday against St. Francis:

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WATCH: Michigan State athletic department gives tips to prevent COVID-19 spread

Tom Izzo, Bill Beekman, Mel Tucker and Suzy Merchant got together to make a video on tips to prevent COVID-19 from spreading further.

Despite some stop-and-start reopenings around the country, we are still very much in the midst of a global pandemic (perhaps best exemplified by the recent outbreak at Harper’s in East Lansing), and the Michigan State athletic department continues to do its part advocating for safety and the proper health guideline observance.

On Tuesday, the MSU athletic department dropped a video promoting different tips to keep you and your community safe from the spread of the coronavirus.

You can watch the video below, which features Tom Izzo, Mel Tucker, Suzy Merchant, and Bill Beekman:

Wear a mask and go green.

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MSU Athletic Department meets at The Rock in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests

The entire Michigan State athletic department met at The Rock today to show support for the George Floyd protests.

For over a week now, we have seen protests flare across the nation as the country continues to mourn the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor while seeking justice and reform. The leadership of the Michigan State Athletic Department has been outspoken in their support for the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, and today, the entire Athletic Department, from Tom Izzo, to Mel Tucker, to Suzy Merchant, and many more, met at The Rock to show their support for the Black Lives Matter protests around the country.

You can see the photo they took together below:

They did note that while Black Lives Matter and the RIP George Floyd text was removed, the black fist was painted over with white paint…

If you want to read some of the comments MSU staff and athletes have made on the protests, here is a guide:

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