Former player makes accusations against Wisconsin women’s coach Marisa Moseley; Updated with school statement

Tessa Towers, a former Badger player, has come forward making claims against the Wisconsin program, head coach

Wisconsin head coach Marisa Moseley has come under fire from former players such as Tessa Towers. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Tessa Towers, a current player for Ball State women’s basketball, has made public accusations against Wisconsin and head coach Marisa Moseley.

Towers, an Illinois native, spent two seasons playing for Moseley and the Badgers before entering the transfer portal. She played in just four games during her time at Wisconsin.

In a post on the social media site TikTok, Towers claims that Moseley and her staff created a toxic environment that ultimately led to her decision to leave.

“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 (thanks to Badgernotes.com for the quotes). “My coach have me a choice between admitting myself to a mental hospital or getting kicked off the team.”

Towers went into more detail, claiming she was excluded from trips conducted for the team, forced to undergo testing for autism and put through a policy of receiving strikes for missing goals.

In 2022, Towers left basketball to focus on her mental health. In a press release at that time by the school, Moseley offered comment saying “Our program fully supports Tessa as she takes this time away.

“We will always make sure that people come first before basketball.”

Several players other than Towers have transferred out of the program in recent years under the direction of Moseley, who is currently in a long losing streak after starting the season out well.

Wisconsin has made an official statement on the matter:

“We are aware of comments shared online by former Badger student-athlete Tessa Towers and will be looking into this matter,” the statement read. “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.”