South Carolina's Dawn Staley gives blunt response to Geno Auriemma confrontation

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South Carolina Gamecocks women’s hoops caput manager Dawn Staley is laser-focused connected bringing location a 4th nationalist title successful the past 10 years, adjacent arsenic questions equine astir her heated confrontation with UConn’s Geno Auriemma.

Auriemma confronted Staley astatine halfcourt pursuing the Gamecocks’ Final Four triumph connected Friday night. Auriemma’s words appeared to enrage Staley earlier helium walked disconnected the court. He suggested helium was upset with Staley since the pregame implicit a deficiency of handshake.

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South Carolina caput manager Dawn Staley speaking astatine a quality conference

South Carolina caput manager Dawn Staley speaks during a quality league astatine the NCAA assemblage hoops tourney Final Four successful Phoenix connected April 4, 2026. (John Locher/AP)

She was asked astir the incidental connected Saturday, and sidestepped the question.

"For me, nary distractions astatine this time. I'm concentrating connected winning a nationalist championship, that’s it," Staley said. "That’s a small disheartening. This is sports, sometimes things similar this happen. Continue to absorption connected my squad and quality to beforehand successful this tourney and hopefully triumph different nationalist championship."

Auriemma released a connection connected Saturday afternoon, apologizing for his behavior.

"There’s nary excuse for however I handled the extremity of the crippled vs. South Carolina. It’s dissimilar what I bash and what our modular is present astatine Connecticut," the Hall of Fame manager said successful a connection connected Saturday. "I privation to apologize to the unit and the squad astatine South Carolina. It was uncalled for successful however I reacted. The communicative should beryllium however good South Carolina played, and I don’t privation my actions to detract from that. I’ve had a large narration with their staff, and I sincerely privation to apologize to them."

GENO AURIEMMA RELEASES STATEMENT AFTER SHOUTING MATCH WITH DAWN STALEY: 'UNLIKE WHAT I DO'

South Carolina caput manager Dawn Staley and UConn caput manager Geno Auriemma arguing connected hoops court

South Carolina caput manager Dawn Staley and UConn caput manager Geno Auriemma reason aft a women's NCAA assemblage hoops tourney semifinal crippled astatine the Final Four successful Phoenix connected April 3, 2026. (Rick Scuteri/AP)

Staley said she was confused implicit what Auriemma was aggravated about.

"I person nary idea," the South Carolina manager said aft the game. "But I’m going to fto you cognize this: I’m of integrity. I’m of integrity. So if I did thing incorrect to Geno, I had nary thought what I did. I conjecture helium thought I didn’t shingle his manus astatine the opening of the game. I didn’t know. I went down determination pregame, shook everybody connected his staff’s hand.

"I don’t cognize what helium came with aft the game, but, hey, sometimes things get heated. We determination on."

The ESPN broadcast noted that Staley shook hands with Huskies unit members and players anterior to tip-off. But NCAA argumentation states that, for the tournament, the 2 coaches are directed to conscionable astatine midcourt to shingle hands aft the starting lineups are announced.

Staley and Auriemma shook hands earlier successful the pregame, but not aft the introductions. It appeared to acceptable disconnected Auriemma.