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UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma showed regret for his action astatine nan extremity of Friday's Final Four crippled against South Carolina wherever he and Dawn Staley sewage into a heated discussion.
He began to speak to her aggressively, earlier nan speech devolved and quickly escalated into a visible shouting match. Auriemma said aft nan crippled he was upset that Staley had apparently not shaken his manus earlier nan crippled (the 2 were seen shaking hands pregame, but Auriemma said he waited respective minutes earlier seeing Staley).
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UConn caput coach Geno Auriemma watches a play precocious successful nan 2nd half of a Sweet 16 crippled of nan NCAA assemblage hoops tourney against North Carolina successful Fort Worth, Texas, connected March 27, 2026. (LM Otero/AP Photo)
"There’s nary excuse for really I handled nan extremity of nan crippled vs. South Carolina," Auriemma said successful a connection posted to societal media.
"It’s dissimilar what I do and what our modular is present astatine Connecticut. I want to apologize to nan unit and nan squad astatine South Carolina. It was uncalled for successful really I reacted. The communicative should beryllium really good South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to detract from that. I’ve had a awesome narration pinch their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them."
Staley addressed nan incident successful an question and reply pinch ESPN instantly afterward.
UConn caput coach Geno Auriemma reacts to a play during nan first half of a Sweet 16 crippled of nan NCAA assemblage hoops tourney against North Carolina successful Fort Worth, Texas, connected March 27, 2026. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
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"I person nary idea, but I'm going to fto you cognize this: I'm of integrity. I'm of integrity," Staley said. "So if I did thing incorrect to Geno, I had nary thought what I did. I conjecture he thought I didn't shingle his manus astatine nan opening of nan game. I didn't know. I went down location pregame, shook everybody connected his staff's hand. I don't cognize what we came pinch aft nan game, but hey, sometimes things get heated. We move on."
Meanwhile, Auriemma expressed displeasure pinch Staley and nan referees during an in-game question and reply connected ESPN.
"Their coach rants and raves connected nan sideline and calls nan referee immoderate names you don’t want to hear. And now we get 6 to 0, and I sewage a kid pinch a ripped jersey, and they go, ‘I didn’t spot it.’ Come on, man. It’s for a nationalist championship," he said to Holly Rowe.
After nan game, Auriemma declined to elaborate connected nan incident.
Dawn Staley of nan South Carolina Gamecocks argues pinch Geno Auriemma of nan UConn Huskies during nan 2nd half of an NCAA Women's Final Four semifinal crippled astatine Mortgage Matchup Center successful Phoenix, Ariz., connected April 3, 2026. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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"I said what I had to opportunity and... nothing... nothing," he said erstwhile asked what happened pinch Staley, refusing to show reporters what he said. "Why would I opportunity it? I said what I said, and evidently she didn't for illustration it. I conscionable told nan truth."
South Carolina ended UConn's cleanable play successful what was a rematch from past year's nationalist title that nan Huskies won. The nonaccomplishment ended UConn's 54-game winning streak making love backmost to past season.
Fox News' Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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