The South Carolina Gamecocks upset the UConn Huskies on Thursday night, but the final score of 62-48 became the smaller story of this Final Four matchup. The confrontation between head coaches stole the headlines.
Videos by FanBuzz
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma had to be separated after they exchanged words at mid-court. The cameras only showed the back of Auriemma's head, but they captured Staley yelling.
This confrontation ended after a few moments as Auriemma walked away, but it reignited as he made his way back down the court seconds later.
Geno Auriemma exchanged words with Dawn Staley in the final seconds of South Carolina and UConn’s Final Four matchup. pic.twitter.com/S6anlPKqwe
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 4, 2026
The two coaches faced questions about the confrontation after the game, which sent the Gamecocks to the National Championship. It appeared to stem from a customary pre-game handshake.
"The protocol is, before the game, you meet at halfcourt," Auriemma said, per NBC Sports. "The two coaches meet at halfcourt and they shake hands. They announce it on the loud speaker. I waited there for like three minutes.
"..."I said what I said, and obviously she didn't like it. I just told the truth."
Staley, whose team lost to UConn in the 2025 National Championship, provided her side of the confrontation after the game. She said that she went and shook everyone's hand before the game.
"I have no idea," Staley told ESPN. "But (I'll) let you know this: I'm of integrity. I'm of integrity. So if I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did. I guess he thought I didn't shake his hand at the beginning of the game."
Auriemma has since released a statement about the confrontation. He apologized to the staff and team of South Carolina and said that there is no excuse for how he handled himself at the end of the Final Four matchup.
"It was uncalled for how I reacted," he added. "The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don't want my actions to detract from that. I've had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them."
