Geno Auriemma refuses handshake after shouting match with Dawn Staley
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Friday’s women’s March Madness game between UConn and South Carolina erupted in anger as two of the sport’s most legendary coaches got into a heated confrontation on the sidelines.
UConn’s Geno Auriemma and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley were seen aggressively yelling at each other in the closing moments of the game. South Carolina was on the verge of a 62-48 victory in the Final Four. As South Carolina coasted to a 62-48 Final Four victory, Auriemma approached Staley and began talking to him aggressively about the exchange before the conversation quickly turned into visible yelling.
Auriemma did not shake Staley’s hand after the game.
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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma watches a play late in the second half of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sweet 16 game against North Carolina on March 27, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (LM Otero/AP)
Staley addressed the incident in an interview with ESPN immediately afterwards.
“I have no idea, but I want you to know, I’m honest. I’m honest,” Staley said. “So if I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did, I think he thought I didn’t shake his hand at the beginning of the game, I didn’t know, I went out there before the game, shook everyone’s hand, I don’t know what we came away with after the game but hey sometimes things get heated. We move on.”
Auriemma was seen shaking Staley’s hand in pre-match ESPN footage.
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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacts to a play during the first half of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sweet 16 game against North Carolina on March 27, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
Auriemma addressed the incident in his post-match press conference.
“I don’t want what happened there to overshadow what we accomplished today,” Staley said.
Auriemma, meanwhile, expressed his displeasure with Staley and the referees during an in-game interview on ESPN.
“There were six fouls in that quarter and they were all against us,” Auriemma said on the broadcast. “And they beat our guys the whole game. I’m not making excuses because we couldn’t make shots. But it’s ridiculous.
“Their coach is yelling and screaming on the sidelines and calling the ref some names you don’t want to hear. Now we’re 0 for 6 and there’s a kid with a torn jersey and they’re like, ‘I didn’t see it.’ Come on, man. This is for a national championship.”
After the match, Auriemma refused to elaborate on the incident.
When asked what happened, Staley said, “I said what I had to say and… nothing… nothing,” and refused to tell reporters what he said.
“Why would I say that? I said what I said and obviously he didn’t like it. I just told the truth.”
Auriemma later addressed speculation about his pre-game handshake and mid-game interview.
“I have no regrets,” Auriemma said of the midgame interview.
“I’ve been coaching for a long time and I’ve never had a kid have to change his jersey because someone ripped it and the referee said he didn’t see it. So much happened in that game. Unless you’re on that sideline, you have no idea what’s going on on that sideline…
“According to the protocol, you will meet at half court before the game, has anyone seen this before? Two coaches meet at half court and shake hands… they announce it over the loudspeaker. I waited there for about three minutes.”
Footage of the shouting spread quickly on social media, with many fans shocked that two of the most respected names in women’s basketball clashed so publicly.
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Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks argues with Geno Auriemma of the UConn Huskies during the second half of the NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinal game at the Mortgage Matchup Center on April 3, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
ESPN star Stephen A. Smith criticized Auriemma for the incident in an X post.
“This was complete BS from the GREAT Geno Auriemma. I never – ever – thought I would see the day when the greatest female college coach in history would be so CLASSIFIED!!! Horrible look and should be called out for it. SHE WAS SUPPORTED,” Smith wrote. “Plain and simple. And she gets in his face like he did something wrong to her instead of being kind. If Dawn Staley had acted like that, we’d be all over her.”
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