On Tuesday, Geno Auriemma apologized to South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley following their verbal altercation at the end of UConn’s Final Four loss on Friday. In his second statement about the incident, Auriemma further owned up to his actions.
“This morning, Dawn Staley and I spoke about our interaction after the game last Friday. 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.”
In his first statement, released on Saturday morning, Auriemma apologized “to the staff and the team at South Carolina” but did not mention Staley by name. The Gamecocks’ head coach put out a separate statement earlier on Tuesday in which she revealed that she had spoken with Auriemma and expressed a desire to move past the incident.
“With the college women’s basketball season behind us, it’s time to move forward and close the chapter on how our semifinal game with UConn ended.
“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. 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.”
At the end of UConn’s Final Four loss to South Carolina on Friday, Auriemma instigated an argument with Staley in the handshake line. His frustrations began with a perceived slight pregame as he had to wait for the customary handshake with the Gamecocks’ head coach. Auriemma also took issue with Staley’s treatment of the officials throughout the contest.
As the two shook hands at the end of the game, Auriemma made a comment that Staley immediately took offense to. They began yelling at each other and needed to be separated by both officials and their respective coaching staffs. Courtside video recorded Staley declaring, “I will beat Geno’s ass.”
When the final 0.1 seconds remaining ran off the clock, Auriemma walked straight into the locker room, though the two teams went through the handshake line a second time without incident.
Afterwards, Staley downplayed the incident by directing any questions to Auriemma. He doubled down.
“I just said what I had to say,” Auriemma said.
“I said what I said and obviously she didn’t like it,” he added later. “I just told the truth.”
“I’m of the opinion that if I ever talk to an official like that, I would get tossed,” he continued on. “So I just want to make sure there’s not a double standard, that some people are allowed to talk to officials like that and other people are not. That’s it. So yeah, I was pretty frustrated.”
“It’s not my place to judge whether any coach should ever get tossed,” he clarified. “I’m not suggesting that that should have happened tonight at all. Not at all.”
Auriemma then reversed course in both his statements. He has not spoken to the media since Friday.
