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South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley is focused on winning a fourth national championship in the last 10 years, even as questions mount about her heated confrontation with UConn’s Geno Auriemma.
Auriemma faced Staley at half court after the Gamecocks’ Final Four victory Friday night. Auriemma’s words seemed to enrage Staley before he left the field. He suggested he was angry with Staley since pregame because of a lack of handshake.
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South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley speaks during a news conference during the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Phoenix on April 4, 2026. (John Locher/AP)
She was questioned about the incident on Saturday and evaded the question.
“For me, no distractions right now. I’m focused on winning a national championship, that’s all,” Staley said. “It’s a little discouraging. It’s sport, sometimes things like this happen. Keep focusing on my team and my ability to progress in this tournament and hopefully win another national championship.”
Auriemma released a statement Saturday afternoon, apologizing for his behavior.
“There is no excuse for the way I handled the end of the South Carolina game. It’s unlike what I do and our level here at Connecticut,” the Hall of Fame coach said in a statement Saturday. “I want to apologize to the South Carolina staff and team. My reaction was inappropriate. The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to take away from that. I have had a great relationship with their staff and I sincerely want to apologize to them.”
GENO AURIEMMA RELEASES STATEMENT AFTER SCREAMING MATCH WITH DAWN STALEY: “Contrary to what I do”
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma argue after a semifinal game in the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament at the Final Four in Phoenix on April 3, 2026. (Rick Scuteri/AP)
Staley said she didn’t know why Auriemma was angry.
“I have no idea,” the South Carolina coach said after the game. “But I’ll let you know this: I have integrity. I have integrity. So if I did something bad to Geno, I had no idea what I did. I guess he thought I didn’t shake his hand at the start of the game. I didn’t know. I went there before the game, shook hands with everyone on his team.
“I don’t know what he brought after the game, but sometimes things get heated. We move on.”
The ESPN broadcast noted that Staley shook hands with Huskies staff and players before the tipoff. But NCAA policy dictates that, for the tournament, the two coaches must meet at midcourt to shake hands after the starting lineups are announced.
Staley and Auriemma shook hands earlier in the pregame, but not after the introductions. This seemed to trigger Auriemma.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma argue after a semifinal game in the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament at the Final Four in Phoenix on April 3, 2026. (Rick Scuteri/AP)
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South Carolina will face the UCLA Bruins for the women’s championship.
