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South Carolina vs UCLA in title game after Geno Auriemma apologizes to Dawn Staley

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South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley remains focused on bringing home her fourth national title in the past 10 years as questions mount about her heated confrontation with UConn’s Geno Auriemma.

Auriemma faced Staley at half court following the Gamecocks’ Final Four win on Friday night. Auriemma’s words appeared to anger Staley before he walked off the field. He claimed he was angry at Staley for the lack of handshakes since before the game.

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South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley speaks during a press conference during the NCAA college basketball tournament Final Four on April 4, 2026 in Phoenix. (John Locher/AP)

He was asked about the incident on Saturday and dodged the question.

“There’s no distractions right now. I’m focused on winning the national championship, that’s it,” Staley said. “It’s a little discouraging. It’s a sport, things like this happen sometimes. Stay focused on my team and my ability to advance in this tournament and hopefully win another national championship.”

Auriemma released a statement Saturday afternoon apologizing for his behavior.

“There are no excuses for how I handled the end of the game against South Carolina. It was different from what I did and different from our standards at Connecticut,” the Hall of Fame coach said Saturday. “I want to apologize to the staff and team at South Carolina. It was unwarranted in terms of my response. The story should be about how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to overshadow that. I have a great relationship with the team and I want to sincerely apologize to them.”

GENO AURIEMMA PUBLISHED A STATEMENT AFTER THE MATCH IN WHICH HE YELLED WITH DAWN STALEY: ‘IT’S LIKE WE DID IT’

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma argue on the basketball court

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma argue after the women’s NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four on April 3, 2026 in Phoenix. (Rick Scuteri/AP)

Staley said he was confused about what Auriemma was angry about.

“I have no idea,” the South Carolina coach said after the game. “But I want you to know this: I’m honest. I’m honest. 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 there before the game, shook his staff’s hand.

“I don’t know what he brings after the game, but sometimes things get heated. We move on.”

The ESPN broadcast noted that Staley shook hands with Huskies staff and players before tipoff. However, NCAA policy states that for the tournament, two coaches must meet in the middle of the field and shake hands after the starting lineups are announced.

Staley and Auriemma shook hands before the game, but this did not happen after the introductions. It seemed to spur Auriemma into action.