Geno Auriemma, Dawn Staley have heated sideline argument in Final Four game
UConn coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina counterpart Dawn Staley engaged in a heated argument in the waning moments of South Carolina’s 62-48 upset victory over Auriemma’s Huskies in the Women’s Final Four on Friday night. With less than a second left in what had been a tense and physical game, Auriemma walked across the sideline toward Staley for what first appeared to be a customary postgame handshake. Instead, Auriemma confronted Staley and things quickly escalated from there, with both coaches getting visibly angry.
Staley shared with ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game that she didn’t know what spurred Auriemma’s frustration. But the legendary UConn coach eventually walked off the court without shaking hands with any of the South Carolina players or coaches and didn’t even wait for his own team before exiting. “I have no idea,” Staley said when Rowe asked her about what sparked the exchange.
“But imma 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.
” This story will be updated. This article originally appeared in The Athletic . South Carolina Gamecocks, Connecticut Huskies, Women's College Basketball 2026 The Athletic Media Company