Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley exchanged words that weren’t of the friendly variety Friday after UConn and South Carolina clashed in the Final Four.
Staley’s Gamecocks dealt Auriemma’s Huskies their first loss of the season in a 62-48 contest that saw UConn shoot 31.1% from the field. Auriemma wanted more than just a handshake after the final buzzer sounded as the two crossed paths on the sidelines at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
Rather than wish Staley well as South Carolina heads to the national championship game, Auriemma lost his temper as he confronted his longtime peer.
Geno lost twice tonight. pic.twitter.com/SXqrQhmsYk
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) April 4, 2026
Auriemma wasn’t happy about a huge disparity in fouls called between the two teams, with UConn getting whistled for 17 of the 25 fouls in the contest. After a third quarter where the Gamecocks didn’t get called for a single foul despite Huskies sophomore Sarah Strong having her jersey partially torn, Auriemma called out Staley and the referees midgame.
“There were six fouls called that quarter, all of them against us,” Auriemma said before the start of the fourth quarter. “And they’ve been beating the s–t out of our guys down there the entire game. And I’m not making excuses cause we haven’t been able to make a shot, but this is ridiculous.
“Their coach rants and raves on the sideline, and calls the referees some names you don’t want to hear. And now we get Sarah [Strong] with a ripped jersey, and they go, ‘I didn’t see it.’ Come on, man. This is for the national championship.”
"I'm not making excuses because we can't make a shot. But this is ridiculous."
— ESPN (@espn) April 4, 2026
Geno Auriemma had this to say on the officiating in the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/47cefDEj2O
It was a bitter end to UConn’s pursuit of back-to-back national titles.
UConn and South Carolina have faced off 15 times with Auriemma and Staley, respectively, on the sidelines. The Huskies have won nine of those contests, with Staley getting her sixth victory over Auriemma on Friday.
