The NCAA women’s basketball Final Four clash between the UConn Huskies and the South Carolina Gamecocks turned heated when the coaches met for the traditional postgame handshake. UConn’s coach, Geno Auriemma, approached South Carolina’s Dawn Staley following the Gamecocks’ 62-48 victory on Friday, April 3. What began as a customary gesture of sportsmanship quickly escalated.
During the postgame interaction, Auriemma, 72, and Staley, 55, exchanged animated words. The encounter soon became contentious as the two exchanged tense remarks.
The coaches were rapidly separated, but Staley continued to make remarks at Auriemma as he exited the court.
Staley was recorded saying, “I will beat Geno’s a**,” as shared in a video on social media.
Auriemma attributed the incident to a pregame situation, alleging that Staley skipped the traditional pregame handshake. However, video footage showed the two coaches shaking hands on the sideline before the game.
Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma exchange words after the Final Four of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Christian Petersen/Getty Images
“For 41 years I’ve been coaching and, I don’t know, 25 Final Fours,” Auriemma remarked. “The protocol is before the game you meet at half court. Anybody see that before? Two coaches meet at half court and they shake hands, correct? … I waited there for like three minutes. So it is what it is.”
The 12-time NCAA champion acknowledged that he and Staley “don’t have a lot in common” but praised her work in elevating South Carolina’s program, expressing a “tremendous amount of respect” for her achievements.
Auriemma’s frustrations were evident throughout the game, culminating in a sideline interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the third quarter.
“They’ve been beating the s*** out of our guys down there the entire game,” Auriemma stated. “I’m not making excuses, because we haven’t been able to make a shot. But this is ridiculous.”
A major altercation broke out during a Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball tournament on Wednesday, March 4, resulting in eight ejections and a referee being knocked down. The incident occurred late in the University of South Alabama’s 80-70 victory over Coastal Carolina University, seemingly amidst a heated exchange.
Auriemma also criticized Staley’s behavior towards the officials, stating she “calls the referees some names you don’t want to hear.”
“I just want to make sure there’s not a double standard,” Auriemma said postgame. “I’m of the opinion that if I ever talk to an official like that, I would get tossed. So I just want to ensure there’s not a double standard, that some people are allowed to talk to officials like that and others are not. That’s it.”
In her postgame press conference, Staley declined to comment on the incident with Auriemma.
“You can ask Geno the question,” Staley said. “He’s the one that initiated the conversation. I don’t want what happened there to dampen what we were able to accomplish today.”
