UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Saginaw Valley State University head women's basketball coach Jenny Pruett announced the hiring of Julia Ayrault as assistant women's basketball coach.
Ayrault joins the Cardinals after a prestigious career at Michigan State. The versatile guard/forward played five seasons for the Spartans between 2019-20 and 2024-25, totaling 139 games played and 75 starts. She averaged 20.2 minutes per game over her career, averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 44.3% from the field and 31.3% from beyond the arc. Following her collegiate career, Ayrault signed a free-agent contract with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury in April 2025.
"I am so excited to have Julia on staff here at SVSU," Pruett said. "She is already fully invested in our program and eager to learn more about our players and how she can motivate them to be the best version of themselves. Her experience as a student-athlete at Michigan State University brings a valuable and distinctive perspective that our players, and I, will benefit from every day. In addition to her athletic background, Julia possesses a natural ability to build meaningful relationships and connect with others—an attribute that will have a significant impact on our program. We are excited to begin this next chapter and look forward to the positive contributions she will make from day one."
Ayrault has deep ties to the GLIAC, as her parents, Andy and Kim, both played basketball at Wayne State. Andy currently serves as an assistant coach for the Warriors' women's basketball program. The family legacy at WSU continues with Julia's younger siblings, twins Adam and Annabel, who are entering their senior seasons for the Wayne State men's and women's basketball teams in 2026-27. Additionally, Julia's twin brother, Joey, worked with the women's basketball program during her tenure at Michigan State.
A Michigan native from Grosse Pointe Woods, Ayrault starred at Grosse Pointe North High School, where she was an Associated Press Class A All-State selection and a finalist for Michigan Miss Basketball. During her collegiate career as a Spartan, her breakout campaign came in 2023-24 when she earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors after averaging 15.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. She followed that with another All-Big Ten selection as a graduate student in 2024-25, while also excelling in the classroom as a multi-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
"I am incredibly honored and excited to join the staff here at Saginaw Valley State University," Ayrault said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of a program with strong tradition and a commitment to excellence both on the court and in the classroom. I am eager to contribute to the development of our student-athletes, support the vision of the program, and help create an environment that encourages growth and competitive success. I look forward to building relationships with our players, staff, alumni, and the university community while helping our student-athletes achieve their goals both athletically and academically. Go Cardinals!"