Geno Auriemma is finally circling back to do his apology the right way.
The UConn women’s basketball head coach Auriemma issued an updated apology on Tuesday night to South Carolina counterpart Dawn Staley. The apology came four days after the two got into a heated postgame confrontation following South Carolina’s Final Four victory over UConn.
“This morning, Dawn Staley and I spoke about our interaction after the game last Friday,” Auriemma said in the statement. “I apologized to Dawn, her staff, and her team. I’ve lost more games in the Final Four than any coach in history. But Friday I lost something more important. I lost myself.
“Those who know me know I have nothing but respect and admiration for the game and the coaches who coach it,” added Auriemma. “Dawn and her team deserved to win and they deserved better from me. Women’s basketball deserved better. My university, my athletes, my former players, and our fans deserved better.
“Dawn and I have agreed to move on, and we hope the focus will shift back to the growth in women’s basketball,” Auriemma’s statement concluded. “The game deserves it.”
After the 62-48 victory by South Carolina over UConn last Friday, Auriemma went at Staley in the postgame handshake line (video here). Auriemma was upset about the officiating during the game and also accused Staley of snubbing him before the game.
Over the weekend, Auriemma issued an initial apologythat was criticized as “weak” as it was vague and failed to mention Staley by name. Auriemma was also called out by a number of prominent sports figures in the wake of the saga, including one who ripped Auriemma as an “insecure bully.”
Earlier in the day on Tuesday though, Staley herself issued a statement calling on everybody to “turn the page” on the incident. Now with Auriemma issuing a (better) apology to Staley, the hatchet now finally appears to be buried.
