{"id":42290,"date":"2026-04-05T22:48:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T22:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=42290"},"modified":"2026-04-05T22:48:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T22:48:59","slug":"south-carolinas-dawn-staley-breaks-silence-on-geno-auriemma-drama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=42290","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina’s Dawn Staley Breaks Silence On Geno Auriemma Drama"},"content":{"rendered":"


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South Carolina coach Dawn Staley<\/strong> is breaking her silence on her fiery interaction<\/a> with UConn coach Geno Auriemma<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a little disheartening,\u201d Staley said of the incident in a Saturday, April 4, press conference. \u201cBut it\u2019s sports, and that happens. That\u2019s why I\u2019m gonna continue to focus on this team and winning a national championship.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added, \u201cFor me, no distractions at this time. Concentrating on winning a national championship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staley and South Carolina earned a spot in the NCAA championship game after beating UConn in the Final Four matchup, 62-48, on Friday April 3, ending the Huskies\u2019 undefeated season.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>What Was Said Between UConn Coach Geno Auriemma and USC Coach Dawn Staley<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tThe NCAA women\u2019s basketball Final Four game between the UConn Huskies and the South Carolina Gamecocks exploded into a fiery postgame moment when the two coaches met to shake hands after the game. UConn coach Geno Auriemma approached South Carolina coach Dawn Staley after the Gamecocks took down the Huskies, 62-48, on Friday, April 3, [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

After the game, Auriemma approached Staley on the sidelines in what originally looked like the traditional postgame handshake between coaches, but the moment quickly turned sour.<\/p>\n

Videos of the incident show Auriemma saying something to Staley, which visibly upset the Gamecocks coach, and the two started yelling back and forth. They eventually had to be separated as they walked to their respective locker rooms.<\/p>\n

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\n Dawn Staley looks on during the Super Saturday open practice ahead of the 2026 NCAA Women\u2019s Basketball Tournament championship game<\/span> Sarah Stier\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI will beat Geno\u2019s a**,\u201d Staley said, according to a video on social media.<\/p>\n

Auriemma claimed the incident stemmed from a pregame moment, where he alleged Staley did not participate in the traditional pregame handshake. Videos from before the game show the two shaking hands on the sideline.<\/p>\n

In his postgame comments, Auriemma said that he and Staley \u201cdon\u2019t have a lot in common,\u201d but did credit Staley for building South Carolina into a women\u2019s basketball powerhouse, saying that he has a \u201ctremendous amount of respect\u201d for Staley.<\/p>\n

Staley, on Friday, refused to comment on the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can ask Geno the question,\u201d Staley said. \u201cHe\u2019s the one that initiated the conversation. I don\u2019t want what happened there to dampen what we were able to accomplish today.\u201d<\/p>\n

The day after the scuffle, Auriemma released a statement apologizing to the South Carolina \u201cstaff and the team\u201d for his actions, but notably did not mention Staley<\/a> by name.<\/p>\n

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