Geno Auriemma Apologizes For Dustup With Dawn Staley After Final Four Loss To South Carolina

Maybe Geno conscionable needed a minute.

Uconn Huskie's caput coach Geno Auriemma apologized connected Saturday after a heated exchange pinch South Carolina Gamecocks caput coach Dawn Staley connected Friday. The incident occurred successful nan last seconds of No. 1 South Carolina’s 62-48 upset complete No. 1 Connecticut astatine midcourt.

Auriemma and Staley, 2 of nan biggest names successful women's assemblage hoops, had to beryllium separated astatine nan extremity of nan Final Four classic.

In a connection Auriemma said that "there’s nary excuse for really I handled nan extremity of nan crippled vs. 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," he wrote. "I’ve had a awesome narration pinch their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them.”

A typical for nan South Carolina Gamecocks did not instantly return a petition for comment.

When asked aft nan crippled what angered Auriemma, Staley told ESPN’s Holly Rowe connected Friday: "I person nary idea."

"But [I’ll] fto you cognize this: I’m of integrity. I’m of integrity. So if I did thing incorrect to Geno, I had nary thought what I did," she said. "I conjecture he thought I didn’t shingle his manus astatine nan opening of nan game."

Staley added: “I didn’t know, I went down location pregame, shook everybody connected his staff’s hand, I don’t cognize what he came pinch aft nan game. But hey, sometimes things get heated, we move on.”

ESPN's broadcast appeared to show Staley and Auriemma appearing to shingle hands earlier Friday's game, though it was brief.

On Friday, Auriemma addressed nan handshake to reporters: He added: “I said what I said, and evidently she didn’t for illustration it. I conscionable told nan truth.”

"The protocol is, earlier nan game, you meet astatine halfcourt,” Auriemma said. "The 2 coaches meet astatine halfcourt and they shingle hands. They denote it connected nan large speaker. I waited location for for illustration 3 minutes."

Connecticut was connected a 54-game winning streak earlier Friday. The Huskies won past year’s nationalist title against South Carolina, led by Staley.