UConn coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley had a heated exchange on the sideline after the Gamecocks beat the undefeated Huskies 62-48 in Friday night's semi-final of the women's NCAA Tournament. South Carolina ended UConn's winning streak at 54 games and secured a return trip to the national championship game.
As the two met in front of the scorer's table with 0.1 seconds left, Auriemma appeared to go to shake Staley's hand and began yelling in her direction. Staley responded with words of her own. Assistant coaches intervened before UConn inbounded the ball to end the game. Staley later said she had no idea what she had done wrong, suggesting Auriemma thought she had not shaken his hand before the game. Staley insisted she had shaken hands with all of UConn's staff pre-game.
Auriemma, meanwhile, expressed displeasure about having to wait for Staley at mid-court before the game. “The protocol is before the game you meet at halfcourt. ... I waited there for like three minutes. So it is what it is,” he said. He added, “I said what I said. And, obviously, she didn't like it. I just told the truth.” Neither coach gave further insight in their post-game news conferences.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Auriemma had vented about officiating in a mid-game interview, claiming six fouls had been called against UConn in the third quarter while South Carolina had none. He also mentioned that a player's jersey had ripped, though UConn's Sarah Strong later said it was accidental. UConn were whistled for 17 fouls in the game, South Carolina for eight.
UConn's All-America duo struggled offensively: national player of the year Sarah Strong scored 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting, and Azzi Fudd added eight on 3-of-15. Ta’Niya Latson led South Carolina with 16 points, and Agot Makeer added 14. UConn's 48 points were their fewest since a loss to the Gamecocks in the 2022 national championship game.
