Analysis: Where transfer Grace VanSlooten fits for Michigan State and what's next
East Lansing, Mich. – The loss of junior point guard DeeDee Hagemann to the transfer portal was considered a crippling blow to the Michigan State women’s basketball team’s chances of equaling the success the program enjoyed in 2023-24.
That loss of Hagemann to Ole Miss received a significant cushion when Michigan State received a transfer portal commitment from Oregon stretch wing and former McDonald’s All-American Grace VanSlooten (6-foot-3, Toledo, Ohio).
With Hagemann’s exit, the Spartans lost 12.3 points and 5.2 assists per game. The addition of VanSlooten, who was considered a 5-star prospect coming out of IMG Academy, where she spent her senior prep season after three at Notre Dame Academy in Toledo, means Michigan State gains 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds a contest, her numbers over two seasons in 63 games with 61 starts in Eugene, Ore.
The addition of VanSlooten, a versatile post forward, who earned All-PAC-12 honorable mention selections during each of her two seasons with the Ducks, will help solve a myriad of issues down low.
Michigan State enjoyed a surprisingly productive 22-9 season in 2023-24, including a bid to the NCAA Tournament in Robyn Fralick’s first season as head coach of the Spartans. Michigan State harnessed overall team success despite battling front-line deficiencies last season. The biggest weakness being depth in the post, which led to problems with post defense against elite post scorers, and issues on the boards. The Spartans finished 13th in rebounding offense and 12th in rebounding margin in the Big Ten.
With the expected return next season of 6-3 graduate senior forward Isaline Alexander and 6-5 redshirt freshman center Mary Meng from injury, the Spartans, who relied on 6-2 graduate senior guard/forward Julia Ayrault as the team’s primary post presence last season, will have some much-needed depth in the middle and under the basket.
Last season, Michigan State averaged 34 rebounds per game and ended the season minus-0.5 in rebound margin.
VanSlooten will be Fralick’s third portal transfer addition since taking the job last season to replace Suzy Merchant.
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Fralick brought in 5-10 guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, who followed Fralick from Bowling Green, and 5-10 guard/forward Lauren Ross from Western Michigan.
Ross went back into the portal at the end of the season, joining Hagemann, graduate senior guard Gabby Elliott, and freshman guard Bree Robinson.
As it stands today, Michigan State would start next season with a roster of 12, which includes incoming recruits Sanai Douglas (5-4 guard, Toledo, Ohio), Helen Holley (6-1 forward, Cleveland, Ohio), Juliann Woodard (6-foot forward, N. Vernon, Ind.) and Ourense, Spain’s Ines Sotelo Miguez, a 6-3 forward.
If the Spartans can’t add another point guard out of the portal, they will be depending on 5-10 junior Theryn Hallock and Douglas to split duties quarterbacking the team’s offense.
Hallock ranked third on the team in assists last season, totaling 81, behind Moira Joiner’s 83 and Hagemann’s 156.
Grace VanSlooten (Photo by Ben Lonergan | USA Today Photo).
