Geno Auriemma was upset with Dawn Staley after his UConn Huskies lost to Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks 62-48 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Friday night. He explained after the game what his primary issue was.
Auriemma told reporters that he was upset that Staley had left him hanging prior to the game. The two had shaken hands prior to the start of the game. However, after the big pregame introductions were conducted by the public address announcer, Auriemma went to the middle of the court and waited for Staley. The two coaches typically meet in the middle of the court after introductions, but Staley never came.
Auriemma was annoyed that Staley missed that moment.
“The protocol is, before the game, you meet at halfcourt,” Auriemma said after the game. “I waited there for like three minutes.”
Staley never came. In a video that was published on social media, Auriemma could be seen complaining to Staley about that moment. Staley had a profane response.
Though that’s the issue Auriemma publicly complained about, his frustration may have had to do more with the game’s outcome than anything else. The veteran UConn coach also was upset about how the game was called by the officials. He complained about his players getting beat up by the physical South Carolina players, and he felt Staley was working the officials in her favor.
UConn had been unbeaten prior to the loss, and won last year’s NCAA championship. South Carolina won the year before and will face UCLA on Sunday with the chance to win their second title in three years.
