3&OUT: Rico's Take on Michigan State women's basketball and What's Next

tie up — Michigan State's Rashunda Jones, right, and Michigan's Olivia Olson battle for the ball during the third quarter on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Photo by Nick King | USA Today Network

EAST LANSING – Fans of women’s basketball were treated to quite a display of talent, grit and top-notch athleticism in No. 13 Michigan State’s 94-91 overtime loss to No. 9 Michigan on Sunday afternoon. Like a very good heavyweight fight between two evenly-matched opponents, the Spartans and Wolverines needed an extra five minutes to decide early bragging rights for the 2025-26 season. In front of a boisterous crowd listed at 11,635, two NCAA Tournament-quality teams left it all on the floor in a showcase of basketball that could only be rivaled by a second meeting that will take place at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor when the two squads meet again on Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. The Wolverines (19-3, 10-1 Big Ten) didn’t necessarily beat the Spartans (19-3, 8-3) in the truest sense of the word but outlasted Michigan State in a rivalry game that definitely delivered the goods for fans of both teams. Continue below for my 3&Out opinions and observations from Sunday’s game. (MORE inside SpartanMag. Join SpartanMag: $1 to get started, and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership. Get Deal Now! 👉 https://www.on3.com/teams/michigan-state-spartans/join/)