Dawn Staley Shares Clear Message After Speaking With Geno Auriemma About Final Four Dustup

The South Carolina coach seems ready to put the controversy to bed.

Geno Auriemma (left) and Dawn Staley (right) argued at the end of UConn and South Carolina’s Final Four game. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley seems ready to put the controversy surrounding her post-Final Four argument with UConn coach Geno Auriemma to bed.

On Tuesday, Staley released a final statement in which she said she spoke to Auriemma.

“With the college women’s basketball season behind us, it’s time to move forward and close the chapter on how our semifinal game with UConn ended,” Staley said. “I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear—I have a great deal of respect for him and what he’s meant to this game. One moment doesn’t define a career, and it doesn’t change the impact he’s had on growing women’s basketball.”

Staley then requested that the college basketball world move on from the incident.

“I’m asking everyone to turn the page,” she said. “Let’s refocus on what matters most—continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward.”

What happened between Auriemma and Staley?

Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley got into a heated argument following South Carolina’s Final Four win over UConn. | Jordan Naholowaa Murph/Sports Illustrated

On Friday, the Gamecocks defeated the Huskies 62–48 in the Final Four. Before the game, Auriemma and Staley were scheduled to shake hands, and—per Auriemma—Staley left the UConn coach hanging. After the game, Auriemma confronted Staley about it in a response widely viewed as disproportionate.

The day after the Huskies lost, Auriemma apologized to South Carolina in a statement, though much was made of the fact that he didn’t mention Staley by name.

"There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina," he said. “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.”

UCLA crushed the Gamecocks 79–51 Sunday to win its first national championship, but Auriemma’s actions remained a prominent part of the tournament’s news cycle.

Though rivals, the two coaches have largely been cordial in the past

Geno Auriemma has had plenty of coaching rivals during his historic run at UConn, with Dawn Staley being one of the latest. | Jordan Naholowaa Murph/ Sports Illustrated

“He has had a legendary career. He has helped our game grow. Whether people believe that or not, he has helped our game grow tremendously,” Staley said of Auriemma in 2022 ahead of the Final Four.

“I think if you look at the last ten years, whatever, be pretty hard-pressed to find anyone that's come as far as they have since she took over at South Carolina,” Auriemma said of Staley in 2018. “She's done it the right way. She didn't fall into this. She's earned it.”

In 2025, the two shared an amusing hug before the national championship.

Additionally, Auriemma coached Staley—then a member of the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting—to a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Sydney. The two also have shared roots in Philadelphia (both grew up in the area) and at Virginia (Auriemma worked as a Cavaliers assistant while Staley played there).

They might not like each other all the time, but Auriemma and Staley are more interconnected than most high-achieving sports rivals in college or otherwise.

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