Ariel Massengale is in her first season as an assistant coach with the Wisconsin women’s basketball program. A former standout at Tennessee and rising coaching talent, Massengale brings a wealth of experience as both a player and coach at the collegiate and professional levels.
Massengale comes to Wisconsin following three seasons at SIUE, where she joined the staff in July 2021. During her time with the Cougars, she helped develop multiple All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team selections. Her coaching potential was recognized nationally in March 2023, when she was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's prestigious Thirty Under 30 list.
Prior to SIUE, Massengale spent two seasons on staff at Lipscomb, where she helped guide the program to a 12–10 record and an appearance in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament semifinals during the 2020–21 season. She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ole Miss, where she supported scouting and recruiting operations for two seasons.
A native of Bolingbrook, Illinois, Massengale was one of the top prep players in the country. She was a McDonald's All-American, WBCA All-American, Illinois Miss Basketball, and the Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year while leading Bolingbrook High School to three IHSA state championships.
As a collegiate athlete, Massengale was a four-year starter at the University of Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summitt. She helped lead the Lady Vols to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and earned four gold medals with USA Basketball across the U16 FIBA Americas, U17 World Cup, U19 World Championships, and World University Games. In 2015, she was selected 29th overall in the WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream and went on to play professionally in Finland.
Massengale earned her bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Tennessee and holds a master’s degree in Sport and Recreation Administration from the University of Mississippi.
