...and then Geno threw a tantrum

[Jilly_in_VA]

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 went to calm the two parties before UConn inbounded the ball to end the game.

Staley went to shake hands with UConn staffers while Auriemma headed for the tunnel without shaking the hands of any South Carolina players or coaches. Players from both teams shook before the UConn players sprinted up the tunnel.

“I’m of integrity. So if I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did,” Staley told ESPN’s Holly Rowe in the post-game interview. “I guess he thought I didn’t shake his hand at the beginning of the game. I went down there pre-game, shook everybody on his staff’s hand. I don’t know what he came with after the game, but hey, sometimes things get heated. We move on.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/apr/03/uconn-south-carolina-geno-auriemma-dawn-staley-ucla-texas

He accused SC players of "tearing Sarah Strong's jersey". Sarah said herself "I tore it, it doesn't matter." He showed childish poor sportsmanship. I saw it.

[questionseverything]

1. I didn't see the game but I wonder why she left him hanging in the circle pre game?

Probably to get in his head ( it obviously worked)

And

6 fouls in a quarter, all going one way sounds suspect…

All that being said, if your shot won’t fall nothing else really matters, sc kicked booty!

[Jilly_in_VA]

2. She says she did not

and I believe her over a 70-something old crank who needs to retire if he can't behave like a gentleman. (He also throws his players under the bus, if you watch tapes from the season. She doesn't.)

[SallyHemmings]

3. Entitled jerk

He got outcoached. He did not adjust his team to the SC defense. Sometimes you have to give credit to the other team.

Clearly his "apology" was written by UCONN's PR department. He didn't even bother to say Ms. Staley's name.

He is a disgrace. But this isn't new. Just google his name and examples of his boorish behavior are documented.

The difference is there are more eyes on women's basketball.

Not a fan of UCONN's men's basketball coach either.