The women’s Final Four kicked off with a thrilling matchup as UConn went head-to-head against South Carolina. The Gamecocks came out on top, defeating the Huskies 62-48. However, the final score wasn’t the only thing that stood out from the game.
As the final seconds of the game started to tick down, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma approached South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley to shake hands, and that’s when things took an unexpected turn.
Auriemma Speaks on What Happened
Auriemma and Staley began arguing, prompting their assistant coaches to separate them. Nobody knows exactly what was said, but Auriemma doesn’t have any regrets about it.
“I said what I said. Obviously, she (Staley) didn’t like it. I just told the truth,” Auriemma said postgame, via On3’s Talia Goodman.
No coach has provided any clarity on the exact reason they get heated, but Staley thinks it has something to do with shaking hands before the game.
“I have no idea, but I am going to let you know this: I am of integrity,” Staley said. “So 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. I went down there pre-game and shook everyone on his staff’s hand.”
It seems a little weird that Auriemma would be mad about Staley not shaking his hand before the game, but ESPN showed a video of that happening.
There was clear video proof that Staley and Auriemma both shook hands before the game started, and she went down to all of his staff members and shook their hands as well.
Likely, Auriemma wasn’t kind to Staley because of his comments about her. In an interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, he said Staley went after the referees heading into the fourth quarter.
“There, coach rants and raves on the sidelines and calls the referees some names you don’t want to hear, and now we get six to zero, and I got a kid with a ripped jersey, and they go I didn’t see it,” Auriemma said.
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