Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, March 20
Norman, Okla.
5:30 PM MT
Colorado State
vs
No. 5 Michigan State
Shootaround: Rams Prepare for March Test Against Spartans
3/20/2026 12:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CSU prepares for the biggest dance so far
Over the span of a decade, change is inevitable. The same rule applies to a season.
Lineups shift. Players graduate. Injuries alter the course of a year. But sometimes, adversity does more than disrupt — it elevates. It pushes a team to a place few reach. A place where they stand alone.
Colorado State earned the No. 12 seed on Sunday, drawing No. 5 Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten program is no stranger to March Madness, making its 21st appearance in the Big Dance. The Rams, meanwhile, are back in the bracket for the first time since 2016 — and as the only Mountain West team dancing this March.
In a few short days, they have shifted from the biggest fish in their pond to one of the smallest among their peers. So the message is slow down. Revel. Then get back to work.
"The first few days after the Mountain West tournament it was kind of hard to like calm down," Madelyn Bragg said. "(Ryun Williams) kept saying take a breath, take a breath, and it just doesn't feel real. I think in the past few days it started to settle in that we're actually going to March Madness. And then, of course, the anxiety and anticipation building up before the selection. But it was like a good feeling and finding out we're playing Michigan State is really exciting."
Opponent set and Mountain West caps worn in, it goes back to the practice gym. On Friday the team made their second venture to the Lloyd Noble Center on Oklahoma's campus. Though unfamiliar, some of the same routines remained.
Even there the music blasted and the players still sang along at the top of their lungs before the huddle came together at center court. The scout too remained relentless, with good reason.
"We're always going to give an opponent, regardless of their record, their respect," Williams said. "Because the minute you don't is the minute you lose. And you don't put yourself in the best position to play well. We're 27-7 because of what this group did. And we have to lean on our strengths more than trying to take away theirs, and that's what this group has done. You don't want your kids overthinking in a game like this."
So it goes back to the practices they've done all year. The stage is bigger, but the game remains the same.
Though CSU will be without Mountain West Newcomer of the Year Lexus Bargesser, a senior who leads the team with 15.6 points per game, due to injury. Still, the Rams' final two conference tournament games showed how the group rallied in her absence.
How players like Brooke Carlson and Marta Leimane, who both played all 40 minutes in the Mountain West Tournament Final, stepped forward.
"It's just neat to see kids in those big moments thrive," Williams said. "They just keep getting better. Marty's been better, obviously, in a lot of those situations. Brooke, her role has drastically increased. And she's our kid. We go as Brooke goes. And to see them have success and to perform in those big moments, that, again, shows the competitive makeup of those kids."
There had been glimpses of it earlier in the season. Halftime deficits erased by third quarters. Road wins at Gonzaga and Oregon State. Stretches where the point spread shifted nightly due to the expansive production.
Sometimes it was Kloe Froebe pouring in 21 points against New Mexico. Other times, the ball found Bragg for a game‑winning buzzer‑beater against Grand Canyon.
It really is anybody's game.
"We play together really well," Carlson said. "We play off of each other. We look for each other. And we can also hold each other accountable for things. And I think that really builds the chemistry on and off the court. So just being able to play with that is great to see."
So there has been change. No doubt about it. But as scary as it can be, change is nothing new for this group — the good and the bad. It is what shaped them, challenged them and ultimately carried them here.
To a place which lives by one simple rule: survive or go home.
Rivalrous Rams
Long before March, CSU knew it had an edge.
All the way back before the season started or the first days of 2026 had been seen, the competitive spirit amongst the players showed up before any fans were there to watch. Now, the Rams sit 27-7 and on a nine-game win streak, riding high before the pressure.
"Since everybody came in, it was a very competitive summer," Carlson said. "I was really loving that we were able to get at each other but love each other off the court. So, just that carrying over onto the season is amazing to see."
It makes it easier when everyone shares the same vision.
A foresight the team now sees in the way the NCAA decided to seed them.
"It was an amazing feeling, the work that we've put in to make it this far," Bragg said. "I mean, it's just nice to have that recognition on the big stage because it's been such a long season. I feel like we do really deserve it, especially this group of people. We've done a really good job."
Now the ambition turns its way toward the Spartans, them and all their length.
It was obvious during the film sessions and walkthrough that MSU would be unsettling in the key. Having four players at and above 6-foot-2 who all play regular minutes will do that.
"Long and defensively good," Williams said. "They score it. I think they're an offensive-minded team as well as a defensive-minded team. I just think they've got really good basketball players. But their length seems to be quite disruptive. It's going to have to take a collective effort, no doubt about it."
Its disruption shows up most when MSU is able to dictate pace. The Spartans thrive on forcing tough looks, crowding passing lanes and turning defensive stops into quick offense. Their size allows them to switch across multiple positions, making it difficult for opponents to find clean mismatches or settle into a rhythm especially off the glass.
For CSU, the challenge lies not only in navigating MSU's interior presence, but also in staying composed against a team which prides itself on physicality and discipline. Ball movement, spacing and patience will be critical, especially when the Spartans collapse inside. Along with passing, protecting the ball — something the Rams do well with only 10.4 turnovers a game — will be paramount.
In the Paint
The last time CSU and MSU met was Dec. 20, 2011 in a 72-45 Spartan win. … CSU is the only team in the Mountain West to make it to the Big Dance before its move to the Pac-12 next season. … CSU has three players at and above 6-2 but only one who plays regular minutes, Bragg. … The Rams have six seniors — three of which have been with the Rams their entire college careers, Hannah Ronsiek, Jadyn Fife and Leimane.
Lineups shift. Players graduate. Injuries alter the course of a year. But sometimes, adversity does more than disrupt — it elevates. It pushes a team to a place few reach. A place where they stand alone.
Colorado State earned the No. 12 seed on Sunday, drawing No. 5 Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten program is no stranger to March Madness, making its 21st appearance in the Big Dance. The Rams, meanwhile, are back in the bracket for the first time since 2016 — and as the only Mountain West team dancing this March.
In a few short days, they have shifted from the biggest fish in their pond to one of the smallest among their peers. So the message is slow down. Revel. Then get back to work.
"The first few days after the Mountain West tournament it was kind of hard to like calm down," Madelyn Bragg said. "(Ryun Williams) kept saying take a breath, take a breath, and it just doesn't feel real. I think in the past few days it started to settle in that we're actually going to March Madness. And then, of course, the anxiety and anticipation building up before the selection. But it was like a good feeling and finding out we're playing Michigan State is really exciting."
Opponent set and Mountain West caps worn in, it goes back to the practice gym. On Friday the team made their second venture to the Lloyd Noble Center on Oklahoma's campus. Though unfamiliar, some of the same routines remained.
Even there the music blasted and the players still sang along at the top of their lungs before the huddle came together at center court. The scout too remained relentless, with good reason.
"We're always going to give an opponent, regardless of their record, their respect," Williams said. "Because the minute you don't is the minute you lose. And you don't put yourself in the best position to play well. We're 27-7 because of what this group did. And we have to lean on our strengths more than trying to take away theirs, and that's what this group has done. You don't want your kids overthinking in a game like this."
So it goes back to the practices they've done all year. The stage is bigger, but the game remains the same.
Though CSU will be without Mountain West Newcomer of the Year Lexus Bargesser, a senior who leads the team with 15.6 points per game, due to injury. Still, the Rams' final two conference tournament games showed how the group rallied in her absence.
How players like Brooke Carlson and Marta Leimane, who both played all 40 minutes in the Mountain West Tournament Final, stepped forward.
"It's just neat to see kids in those big moments thrive," Williams said. "They just keep getting better. Marty's been better, obviously, in a lot of those situations. Brooke, her role has drastically increased. And she's our kid. We go as Brooke goes. And to see them have success and to perform in those big moments, that, again, shows the competitive makeup of those kids."
There had been glimpses of it earlier in the season. Halftime deficits erased by third quarters. Road wins at Gonzaga and Oregon State. Stretches where the point spread shifted nightly due to the expansive production.
Sometimes it was Kloe Froebe pouring in 21 points against New Mexico. Other times, the ball found Bragg for a game‑winning buzzer‑beater against Grand Canyon.
It really is anybody's game.
"We play together really well," Carlson said. "We play off of each other. We look for each other. And we can also hold each other accountable for things. And I think that really builds the chemistry on and off the court. So just being able to play with that is great to see."
So there has been change. No doubt about it. But as scary as it can be, change is nothing new for this group — the good and the bad. It is what shaped them, challenged them and ultimately carried them here.
To a place which lives by one simple rule: survive or go home.
Rivalrous Rams
Long before March, CSU knew it had an edge.
All the way back before the season started or the first days of 2026 had been seen, the competitive spirit amongst the players showed up before any fans were there to watch. Now, the Rams sit 27-7 and on a nine-game win streak, riding high before the pressure.
"Since everybody came in, it was a very competitive summer," Carlson said. "I was really loving that we were able to get at each other but love each other off the court. So, just that carrying over onto the season is amazing to see."
It makes it easier when everyone shares the same vision.
A foresight the team now sees in the way the NCAA decided to seed them.
"It was an amazing feeling, the work that we've put in to make it this far," Bragg said. "I mean, it's just nice to have that recognition on the big stage because it's been such a long season. I feel like we do really deserve it, especially this group of people. We've done a really good job."
Now the ambition turns its way toward the Spartans, them and all their length.
It was obvious during the film sessions and walkthrough that MSU would be unsettling in the key. Having four players at and above 6-foot-2 who all play regular minutes will do that.
"Long and defensively good," Williams said. "They score it. I think they're an offensive-minded team as well as a defensive-minded team. I just think they've got really good basketball players. But their length seems to be quite disruptive. It's going to have to take a collective effort, no doubt about it."
Its disruption shows up most when MSU is able to dictate pace. The Spartans thrive on forcing tough looks, crowding passing lanes and turning defensive stops into quick offense. Their size allows them to switch across multiple positions, making it difficult for opponents to find clean mismatches or settle into a rhythm especially off the glass.
For CSU, the challenge lies not only in navigating MSU's interior presence, but also in staying composed against a team which prides itself on physicality and discipline. Ball movement, spacing and patience will be critical, especially when the Spartans collapse inside. Along with passing, protecting the ball — something the Rams do well with only 10.4 turnovers a game — will be paramount.
In the Paint
The last time CSU and MSU met was Dec. 20, 2011 in a 72-45 Spartan win. … CSU is the only team in the Mountain West to make it to the Big Dance before its move to the Pac-12 next season. … CSU has three players at and above 6-2 but only one who plays regular minutes, Bragg. … The Rams have six seniors — three of which have been with the Rams their entire college careers, Hannah Ronsiek, Jadyn Fife and Leimane.
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