Dawn Staley Sets Record Straight on Geno Auriemma Relationship
While the biggest story to stem from the Women's Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona, was that the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team won the program's first championship, that was not the moment that got the most attention on social media.
This would be the exchange that South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley and UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma had at the end of their Final Four game, which Staley's Gamecocks won by a score of 62-48.
Right before the final buzzer sounded, Auriemma ambled over to the Gamecocks' bench and shared words with Staley. She responded with words of her own, and her body language (and ensuing clips of the exchange) made it very clear that she was upset with whatever he had went to tell her.
Geno Auriemma exchanged words with Dawn Staley in the final seconds of South Carolina and UConn’s Final Four matchup. pic.twitter.com/S6anlPKqwe
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 4, 2026
Afterwards, it came out that Auriemma was upset Staley hadn't shaken his hand at center court before the game began, which is apparently the custom. But Auriemma has received a lot of backlash for how he handled this moment, as many took it as proof he was acting like a poor sport.
Dawn Staley's Statement on Geno Auriemma Moment Speaks Volumes
Staley was clearly trying not to let this exchange be the biggest narrative in the wake of her team's win. And she reiterated this with a social media graphic South Carolina's X account shared on the morning of April 7.
“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," the graphic began.
"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. The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that’s something this game has benefited from," it continued.
"So, I’m asking everyone to turn the page. Let’s refocus on what matters most – continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward. That’s always been my mission, and it’s not changing," it added before signing off with Staley's name.
The mission is unchanged – let's grow our game 🫡 pic.twitter.com/mJxqlUy6CK
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) April 7, 2026
Props to Staley for wanting to move on after what happened last Friday. Then again, regardless of what has to say about the matter, women's college basketball fans aren't going to stop speaking about this anytime soon.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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