Ariel Braker was named assistant women's basketball coach and recruiting coordinator on June 7, 2021.
Braker spent one season with the Coyotes, in which USD compiled a 29-6 record, captured a share of the Summit League regular season title, won the Summit League Tournament and made the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
The Coyotes made noise on the big stage during the 2022 NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 as a No. 10 seed. The postseason run included a 75-61 win over a receiving votes Ole Miss squad, followed by a 61-47 takedown of No. 7/5 Baylor in the second round. It was the biggest win in program history and a Summit League squad’s first win over a top-10 nationally ranked team since 1994. South Dakota fell to No. 12/12 Michigan, 52-49, in the Sweet 16.
Braker was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Thirty Under 30 class of 2022.
Braker coached three all-Summit League players, working with 2022 Summit League Player of the Year Chloe Lamb, Summit League Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Sjerven and all-league pick Liv Korngable.
Braker’s coaching career includes stints at Oakland (DI), Lehigh (DI), Western Texas (NJCAA), Grosse Point North (HS) and Wayne State University (DII). She has experience with player development of post players, recruiting, scouting, game strategy, scheduling and mentoring student-athletes.
Braker was a two-year starter and tri-captain in her four-year career at Notre Dame under Naismith Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw. She was a member of the winningest class in program history, with a 138-15 overall record, four Final Four berths and three National Championship appearances.
A native of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, Braker graduated from Notre Dame in 2014 with a bachelor of arts in industrial design. She earned her master’s degree in sports administration from Wayne State (Mich.) in 2015.
