South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and her Connecticut counterpart Geno Auriemma are burying the hatchet after their furious on-court confrontation in the Final Four.
Auriemma publicly criticized officials and Staley during an in-game interview as his Huskies were falling to the Gamecocks, 62-48, on Friday: ‘There were six fouls called that quarter — all of them against us… Their coach rants and raves on the sideline and calls the referee some names you don’t want to hear. And now we get 6 to 0.’
Things only got worse after the South Carolina win in Phoenix as Auriemma confronted Staley on the court, where assistants worked keep the agitated rivals from a face-to-face shouting match.
One clip of the confrontation showed Staley telling her staff, ‘I’m gonna beat Geno’s a**.’
Now, after South Carolina fell to UCLA in the national championship, Staley is calling on Auriemma’s critics to give the 72-year-old a pass.
‘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 wrote in her statement. ‘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 the game. One moment doesn’t define a career and it doesn’t change the impact he’s had on growing women’s basketball.
Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma are seen fuming at each other during the Final Four
Staley appeared to say she was going to ‘beat Geno’s a**’ after being confronted
‘The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that’s something this game has benefited from. 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.’
Although Auriemma previously released a statement apologizing for his actions, the Basketball Hall of Famer issued another on Tuesday to say he had discussed the issue with Staley directly.
‘I apologized to Dawn, her staff and her team,’ Auriemma said. ‘I’ve lost more games in the Final Four than any coach in history. But Friday I lost something more important. I lost myself.
‘Those who know me know I have nothing but respect and admiration for the game and the coaches who coach it. Dawn and her team deserved to win, and they deserved better from me.
Staley, a WNBA legend and a Hall of Famer, had no patience for Auriemma’s claims on Friday
Auriemma admitted that ‘women’s basetball deserved better’ than his behavior on Friday
Staley is calling on Auriemma’s critics to give the 72-year-old a pass and move forward
‘Women’s basketball deserved better. My university, my athletes, my former players and our fans deserved better.
‘Dawn and I have agreed to move on, and we hope the focus will shift back to the growth in women’s basketball. The game deserves it.’
Auriemma’s actions were widely criticized on social media and on ESPN in the immediate aftermath of the game.
‘I say this respecting the fact that Geno is the winningest coach in college basketball history,’ said ESPN women’s basketball analyst Chiney Ogwumike. ‘His behavior does not sit well with me. I actually find it quite problematic.’
Fellow analyst Andraya Carter concurred: ‘It was all handled so poorly on Geno’s part. Like, actually shockingly so. Because you never really see Geno act like that.’
