It took her four days but Wisconsin Badgers head coach Marissa Moseley finally spoke about accusations from her former player that the program subjected her to mental health abuse.
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Fresh off the win against Michigan Wolverines that saw them climb to 11-10 in the season standings, Moseley talked to reporters to deny the accusations made by her former player Tessa Towers.
The 6’5 center, who is now committed to the Ball State University, said she subjected to a number of rules that took a toll on her mental health.
She posted 14 slides on Tiktok as part of the “You’re funny” trend. There, Towers detailed the abuses she went through as part of the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball.
Former Wisconsin women’s basketball player has gone public with treatment and accusations of abuse she faced while being a part of the program.
My heart hurts for Tessa. 💔 pic.twitter.com/zopB38xArg
— Badger WBB HQ (@BadgerWBBHQ) January 27, 2025
“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,” one of the slides read.
“My coach gave me a choice between admitting myself to a mental hospital or getting kicked off the team!,” she wrote in another.
Towers ended her post by saying that the ordeal helped her grow.
“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.’”
Marissa Moseley says she prioritizes athletes’ mental health
Moseley repeated the previous statement released by UW-Madison on the issue.
The program said they wanted to provide context on the issue but federal laws prevent them.
“I cannot comment on any student athlete’s health-related claims due to federal laws,” she said.
“As I have previously stated, any of my players’ physical well-being will come before basketball. My staff and I work hard to try and create an environment that welcomes everyone and that we try to build a positive, and build positive and lasting relationships with players.”
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Towers left the team in 2022 and Moseley and her staff publicly supported her.
“Our program fully supports Tessa as she takes this time away. We will always make sure that people come first before basketball,” Moseley said then.
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