Dawn Staley reacts to bizarre Geno Auriemma encounter after Final Four
· Yahoo Sports
South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley told ESPN's Holly Rowe she wasn't entirely sure what sparked her tense postgame encounter with UConn coach Geno Auriemma.
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South Carolina topped UConn on Friday night during the Final Four round in Phoenix in a game that sent one team to the national title game and the other back home.
After the game, Auriemma and Staley engaged in a fierce war of words that caused the former to storm off the court and not engage in any postgame handshakes.
Staley told Rowe that she wasn't exactly sure what set Auriemma off, but she guessed it could have had something to do with a missed pregame handshake.
"I guess he thought I didn't shake his hand at the beginning of the game," a bewildered Staley told Rowe after the win. "I didn't know. I went down there pregame, shook everybody on his staff's hand."
"I'm super proud of our kids and I'm not going to let any of this take anything away from the performance on the floor."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 4, 2026
Dawn Staley shared her thoughts on the interaction with Geno Auriemma postgame. pic.twitter.com/8P9U4VTpQM
The two clearly shook hands before the game, so we have no idea what Auriemma is mad about if this is what set him off against Staley.
Two legendary coaches meet again 🤝#WFinalFourpic.twitter.com/yB1EdTOxTC
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 3, 2026
What a strange moment to close an otherwise great game.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Dawn Staley reacts to bizarre Geno Auriemma encounter after Final Four