Former Wisconsin women's basketball player alleges abuse under Marisa Moseley
A former Wisconsin women's basketball player has accused coach Marisa Moseley of threats, manipulation, and mishandling of mental health.
The Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball program finds itself under fire after former player Tessa Towers went public with allegations of egregious mistreatment during her time in Madison.
Towers, who entered the transfer portal in March 2023 after appearing in just four games over two seasons, shared her claims on TikTok, accusing head coach Marisa Moseley and her staff of creating a toxic environment.
The 6-foot-5 forward alleges a pattern of abuse, including being forced to sign a release granting Moseley access to her therapy sessions under the threat of being removed from the basketball team.
"My coach made me sign a release form for her to access my therapy sessions, or I'd be kicked off the team," Towers posted.
She also claimed the staff pressured her into mental health decisions, stating, "My coach gave me a choice between admitting myself to a mental hospital or getting kicked off the team!"
Towers also shared another alarming claim, stating, "My coach and staff said if I were to say anything remotely close to thoughts of su!c!de or de@+h to my therapist, I would be kicked off the team."
The accusations didn't stop there.
Towers detailed other incidents, including being excluded from team trips, forced to undergo testing for autism against her will, and being subjected to a three-strikes policy that was unique to her. One strike reportedly stemmed from forgetting to turn in a goal sheet on time.
"I was the only one with this rule," she wrote.
Towers described these experiences as deeply challenging, noting, 'I was forced to do a lot of things I didn't want to do, but at least that experience helped me advocate for myself and mature.'"
Towers took a leave of absence in December 2022 to focus on a personal matter, with coach Moseley commenting at the time, "Our program fully supports Tessa as she takes this time away. We will always make sure that people come first before basketball."
However, the Illinois native's latest claims paint a starkly different picture.
Towers' allegations join a broader narrative of instability within the program. Sydney Hilliard, another player who left the team citing mental health reasons, has publicly supported Towers, posting "😍🔥🔥🔥," in solidarity.
Tessa Grady, who played in five games this season but is currently sidelined with an injury and has been noticeably absent from the bench in recent weeks, added, "Now this sounds familiar! Glad we got out of that [expletive] hole!"
Several other former players, including Krystyna Ellew, Imbie Jones, and Sacia Vanderpool, have also weighed in on the matter. Notably, all have either transferred out of the program or stepped away from basketball, with Ellew commenting, "Oh wait, I've been through that too."
A source with knowledge of the situation noted that coach Moseley was particularly hard on Vanderpool, Ellew, and Hilliard, adding that Hilliard seemed to bear the brunt of it more than anyone else.
This isn’t the first time Moseley has made headlines while at Wisconsin. During a press conference last season, Moseley referred to some of her players as run-of-the-mill white kids while describing the diversity on her basketball team.
“If you look at my team, we’re pretty much the United Nations. I have the first Indian woman to ever play at the Power 5. I have kids who are Nigerian and kids who are Dominican and kids who are Mexican and kids who are run of the mill white because they’re still there too,” Moseley said.
Moseley quickly added, “My mom is white, just so nobody is offended. My mom is a white woman from the Berkshires.
“Very white.”
The program also experienced significant turnover on the coaching staff following Moseley's second season, with all three assistants leaving during that offseason.
Scott Merritt, who served as associate head coach, left to become the head coach at Gardner-Webb University. Caroline Doty, previously an assistant coach, appears to have left coaching altogether. Meanwhile, Kate Barnosky, who was promoted to associate head coach at Wisconsin, left for a head coaching position at Babson, a Division III school.
While departures in and of themselves are not uncommon in college athletics, the scale and nature of the exodus, combined with Towers' troubling accusations, raise legitimate questions about the stability and culture within the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball program.
Another source who requested anonymity shared that a different player was unfairly dismissed from the program earlier in Moseley’s tenure. While the decision to part ways was largely tied to subjective concerns, it stemmed from health-related circumstances beyond their control.
As a result, an NDA was put in place to keep the details of the situation under wraps after it was determined that the player was dismissed without cause.
With these ongoing struggles happening on and off the court, the program faces mounting scrutiny, and it’s fair to wonder if a change in leadership is on the horizon.
After reaching out for comment, a representative from Wisconsin provided the following statement:
"We are aware of comments shared online by former Badger student-athlete Tessa Towers and will be looking into this matter. We care deeply about the physical and mental well-being of all of the student-athletes on our teams during and after their time on campus.
“While we would like to share additional context around Tessa’s comments, federal privacy laws prohibit us from publicly addressing the health-related claims made on Tessa’s social media account."
Under Moseley, Wisconsin has posted a 48-68 overall record (18-45 Big Ten) through 112 games and is currently in her fourth season. While the program has struggled to find consistent success during her tenure, Moseley did guide the Badgers to the WNIT during the 2023-24 season—their first appearance since 2011—advancing to the Great 8.
Wisconsin currently sits at 10-10 overall and 1-8 in conference play this season.
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I do not appreciate a coach who describes her players by their ethnicity and/or the color of their skin. More specifically, casually describing some of her players as "run of the mill white" is blatantly racist. These are major red flags for the athletic department, but judging how it is currently being run, there will be zero ramifications. Indeed, the more likely result will be a contract extension.
Is there any news or update on this issue. Very disturbing