UConn vs. South Carolina Brings Out a Rivalry Years in the Making

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma exchange words late in the fourth quarter in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday, April 3. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images/TNS)

In the final seconds of the Women’s Final Four April 3 game, the Huskies coach Geno Auriemma approached the Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley for a postgame handshake when the two broke out into an argument. 

The Gamecocks beat the Huskies 62-48, allowing them to move onto the national championships game.

Auriemma, who was upset because he believed Staley didn’t shake his hand, pointed his finger towards the floor while cursing. The coaches got in each other’s faces and were on the brink of a physical fight before they were broken apart. Staley was heard saying “I will beat Geno’s ass.”

Auriemma and Staley are both legends in women’s college basketball and have both coached for decades. Auriemma has coached at the University of Connecticut since 1985 and has won 12 national championships. Staley began coaching in 2000 at Temple University before becoming head coach at the University of South Carolina in 2008 and has won three national championships. 

Before every game, the teams and coaches shake hands and wish each other good luck, and this game was no different. At halftime, Auriemma gave an interview about the game, speaking about his player Sarah Strong, who he claimed got her jersey ripped by South Carolina. But, after video evidence came out and Strong’s stated that she ripped it herself, it was hard to claim bad intentions by South Carolina. According to Strong, “It was an accident. Missed my shot, ripped it by accident.” 

Auriemma also said during the interview, “This is ridiculous. Their coach rants and raves on the sideline, and calls the referees some names you don’t want to hear.” 

After the fight, people had a lot to say regarding Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley, including former professional basketball player, Candice Parker. She stated, “In time, you see people’s colors over and over again. There can be a separation of time with that, but the colors always come to light. I think colors were shown yesterday on both sides, right? However you want to take that.” Parker was a generational talent who won three WNBA championships in 2016, 2021, and 2023. She won MVP in 2008 and 2013 and won Finals MVP in 2016. She was also a double national champion in college with the University of Tennessee, and was the first woman to be put on the cover of NBA 2K.

At the post game conference Staley referred all comments to Auriemma, who said he had nothing to apologize for. He made a statement on April 7,“I apologized to Dawn, her staff and her team, 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.”

Many saw this apology as a cop-out and as a way to ensure he would be able to keep his job. It is not known what both coaches specifically said to each other, but Auriemma apologized, and Staley accepted his apology.