By Field Level Media
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said Tuesday that she has moved on from an on-court spat with UConn coach Geno Auriemma in the Women's Final Four and would like everyone else to do the same.
Two of the sport's elite coaches had a heated argument after Staley's Gamecocks defeated the defending champion Huskies 62-48 on Friday in the national semifinal.
"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
in a statement. "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."
With the final seconds winding down of their game, Staley and Auriemma walked toward each other as though they were about to shake hands.
However, Auriemma didn't extend his hand, instead saying something to Staley, who reacted angrily, and the two had to be separated. Auriemma was ushered away, then soon walked back past Staley, who continued to yell at him before her staffers surrounded her and appeared to be trying to calm her.
Subsequently asked on ESPN what led to the dispute, Staley said, "I have no idea. But I'mma let you know this: I'm of integrity. I'm of integrity. So if I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did.
"I guess he thought I didn't shake his hand at the beginning of the game. I didn't know, I went down there pregame, shook everybody on his staff's hand, I don't know what he came with after the game. But hey, sometimes things get heated, we move on."
Auriemma said after the game that he was upset with officiating calls against UConn and also that he waited three minutes for a pregame handshake with Staley.
He issued a statement on Saturday apologizing to the South Carolina staff without mentioning Staley by name.
"There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina," Auriemma said in the statement. "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 in how I reacted. 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."
Auriemma, 72, is the NCAA's all-time winningest basketball coach. He has led the Huskies to 12 national titles, with the most recent one coming last year. UConn took its first loss of this season on Friday, ending a 54-game win streak and finishing the season 38-1.
Staley, 55, has led the Gamecocks to three national titles. South Carolina played in its third straight national championship game and fourth in the last five years on Sunday but lost to UCLA 79-51 and finished 36-4.
--Field Level Media
