Dawn Staley: Time to ‘turn the page’ on Final Four skirmish with Geno Auriemma | NCAA Tournament 2026
South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley says it’s time to move past her Final Four skirmish with UConn coach Geno Auriemma that became the talk of the tournament.
Staley posted a statement on South Carolina’s X account Tuesday in which she expressed respect for Auriemma and said the two had been speaking since South Carolina’s 62-48 Final Four victory Friday night. The season ended with UCLA’s 79-51 runaway victory over South Carolina in the national championship game on Sunday.
“With the women’s college basketball season behind us, it is time to move forward and close the chapter on how our semifinal game with UConn ended,” Staley wrote in her statement. “I spoke with Geno and I want to be clear: I have a lot of respect for him and for what he represents in the game. One moment does not define a career and it does not change the impact he had on the growth of women’s basketball.
“The level 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 moving it forward. That’s always been my mission, and that doesn’t change.”
Staley’s statement followed Auriemma’s apology Saturday after he addressed Staley in the final seconds of Friday night’s game and appeared to berate her. The coaches of the two teams had to separate them. When the game finally ended, Auriemma left the field to go to the locker room without returning to shake hands with anyone from South Carolina.
“There is no excuse for the way I handled the end of the South Carolina game,” Auriemma said in his statement Saturday.
“This is unlike what I do and our standards here at Connecticut. I want to apologize to the staff and team at South Carolina. My reaction was inappropriate. The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to detract from that. I have had a great relationship with their staff and I sincerely want to apologize to them.”
