South Carolina vs UCLA in title game after Geno Auriemma apologizes to Dawn Staley

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South Carolina Gamecocks head basketball coach Dawn Staley is laser-focused on bringing home a fourth national championship in the last 10 years, even as questions arise about her heated confrontation with UConn’s Geno Auriemma.

Auriemma confronted Staley at halfcourt after the Gamecocks’ Final Four win Friday night. Auriemma’s words appeared to infuriate Staley before he walked off the court. He suggested he was upset with Staley since the pregame because of the lack of handshakes.

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South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley speaks during a news conference at the NCAA college basketball tournament Final Four in Phoenix on April 4, 2026. (John Locher/AP)

She was asked about the incident on Saturday and avoided the question.

“For me, there are no distractions at this point. I’m concentrating on winning a national championship, that’s it,” Staley said. “It’s kind of disappointing. This is sports, sometimes things like that happen. Keep focusing on my team and ability to advance in this tournament and hopefully win another national championship.”

Auriemma released a statement Saturday afternoon apologizing for his behavior.

“There is no excuse for how I handled the end of the game against South Carolina. It’s contrary to what I do and what our standard is here in Connecticut,” the Hall of Fame coach said in a statement Saturday. “I want to apologize to the South Carolina staff and team. It was uncalled for in how I reacted. The story should be how well South Carolina played and I don’t want my actions to detract from that. I’ve had a good relationship with their staff and I sincerely apologize to them.”

GENO AURIEMMA ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER SHOUTING FIGHT WITH DAWN STALEY: ‘DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I DO’

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma argue after an NCAA women’s college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four in Phoenix on April 3, 2026. (Rick Scuteri/AP)

Staley said she was confused about what Auriemma was angry about.

“I have no idea,” the South Carolina coach said after the game. “But I’ll tell you this: I’m of integrity. I’m of integrity. So if I did anything wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did. I think he thought I didn’t shake his hand at the beginning of the game. I didn’t know. I went down there for the pregame and shook everybody on his staff’s hand.

“I don’t know what he brought up after the game, but hey, sometimes things heat up. We’ll move on.”

The ESPN broadcast noted that Staley shook hands with Huskies staff and players before tip-off. But NCAA policy says the two coaches for the tournament are instructed to meet at midcourt to shake hands after the starting lineups are announced.

Staley and Auriemma shook hands earlier in the pregame, but not after the introductions. That seemed to set Auriemma off.