The South Carolina head coach issued a statement Tuesday asking that the focus stay on growing the women's game, not her disagreement with Auriemma. Later, Auriemma said Staley and her team "deserved better from me."
UConn coach Geno Auriemma issued a statement Tuesday night apologizing to Dawn Staley and her South Carolina program for his recent postgame confrontation with her, admitting he “lost” himself in the moment.
His statement, the second since he and Staley had words Friday night after South Carolina beat UConn in the Final Four, followed her statement of earlier in the day. The two coaches both said they had talked.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma takes part in a news conference prior to the NCAA Tournament semifinal against South Carolina in Phoenix. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images"This morning, Dawn Staley and I spoke about our interaction after the game last Friday," Auriemma said in his statement. "I apologized to Dawn, her staff and her team. I've lost more games in the Final Four than any coach in history. But Friday I lost something more important. I lost myself.
"Those who know me know I have nothing but respect and admiration for the game and the coaches who coach it. Dawn and her team deserved to win, and they deserved better from me.
"Women's basketball deserved better. My university, my athletes, my former players and our fans deserved better. Dawn and I have agreed to move on, and we hope the focus will shift back to the growth in women's basketball. The game deserves it."
Staley addresses issue
In her statement Tuesday, Staley said it was time to move past the altercation that followed South Carolina’s 62-48 upset of No. 1 overall seed UConn in a national semifinal game and focus on the sport.
Here is Staley’s statement, in full.
"I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear -- I have a great deal of respect for him and what he's meant to this game," Staley said. "One moment doesn't define a career, and it doesn't change the impact he's had on growing women's basketball. The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that's something this game has benefited from.
"So, I'm asking everyone to turn the page. Let's refocus on what matters most -- continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward.
“That's always been my mission, and it's not changing."
The incident
In the closing seconds of UConn's loss, the two Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame members exchanged words. Auriemma appeared to say something that Staley did not like when they met at halfcourt, and as the conversation grew more heated, their assistant coaches stepped in to separate them.
In the postgame news conference, Auriemma didn’t share what he said to Staley.
“I said what I said,” Auriemma said. “And obviously she didn't like it. I just told the truth.”
In an interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the third quarter, Auriemma was livid with the officiating, noting the disparity of the fouls called on each team in the Gamecocks’ favor. He implied that Staley had ridden the officials so hard that the calls went her team’s way while also acknowledging that his team turned in a subpar performance.
He added in the news conference that he believed Staley broke tournament protocol by not shaking hands in a timely fashion before the game.
He issued an apology to the South Carolina program on Saturday.
“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina. It’s unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut. I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. It was uncalled for how I reacted,” said Auriemma, who just concluded his 41st season at UConn.
“The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to detract from that. I've had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them.”
UCLA defeated South Carolina 79-51 in the national championship game on Sunday.
Where the programs stand
UConn has won 12 national titles under Auriemma. Since Staley took over the Gamecocks program in 2008, South Carolina has been to the Women’s NCAA Tournament 14 times and won three titles.
Auriemma has led the Huskies to 37 consecutive tournament appearances, 25 Final Fours and the 12 championships. They have played in 17 of the past 18 Final Fours.
The Gamecocks have been to eight Final Fours under Staley, including the past six in a row. UConn defeated South Carolina to win the national championship in 2025.
The teams next will meet in a regular-season game on Nov. 24 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
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