UConn coach Geno Auriemma apologized for his actions during a heated exchange with Dawn Staley at the end of the Huskies’ loss to South Carolina in the women’s Final Four.
A visibly upset Auriemma went over to Staley in the final seconds of South Carolina’s 62-48 victory on Friday night and appeared to chastise her. Coaches from both teams had to separate them. When the game ended, Auriemma walked off the court to the locker room without going back to shake hands with anyone from South Carolina.
“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina,” the Hall of Fame coach said in a statement on Saturday. “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.”
Staley said Saturday that she’s focused on the title game against UCLA and not what happened the night earlier.
“For me, no distractions at this time,” Staley said. “I’m concentrating on winning a national championship, that’s it. That’s a little disheartening. This is sports. Sometimes things like this happen. Continue to focus on my team and ability to advance in this tournament and hopefully win another national championship.”
Staley later said that she would address it at a later point.
After the loss, Auriemma said the exchange was about the lack of a traditional pregame handshake between the coaches. Staley said she was confused Friday night.
“I have no idea,” the South Carolina coach said after the game. “But I’m going to 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.”
South Carolina advanced to play UCLA in the title game on Sunday. The Gamecocks are looking for their third championship in five seasons.
UConn and South Carolina are set to play each other the next two years, with the first game in Connecticut.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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