Dawn Staley ready to 'turn the page' after Geno Auriemma confrontation in Final Four

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORKTue, April 7, 2026 at 6:11 PM UTC

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Dawn Staley ready to 'turn the page' after Geno Auriemma confrontation in Final Four

Dawn Staley wants the women's college basketball world to "turn the page" following Geno Auriemma's mid-game rant and ensuing comments he made about the South Carolina coach.

Staley, a three-time national championship coach, said in a statement on Tuesday, April 7, that she and the UConn coach have spoken since they got into a heated confrontation before the postgame handshake in their Final Four game in Phoenix.

REQUIRED READING: Geno Auriemma embarrasses self, UConn with Dawn Staley tiff | Opinion

"I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear — I have a great deal of respect for him and what he's meant to this game. One moment doesn't define a career, and it doesn't change the impact he's had on growing women's basketball," Staley said in the statement. "The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that's something this game has benefited from.

"So, I'm asking everyone to turn the page. Let's refocus on what matters most — continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward."

The heated confrontation between Staley and Auriemma came in the final seconds of their women's Final Four semifinal game on Friday, April 3. ESPN cameras caught the two coaches walking toward each other for the postgame handshake before Auriemma made some comments at Staley.

That led to a brief shouting match between the two, with assistant coaches and officials needing to separate the two. Auriemma was then seen heading toward the locker room on his own immediately after the game clock went triple zeros.

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Earlier in the game, Auriemma said in a mid-game interview with ESPN that Gamecocks players were "beating the (expletive) out of our guys," adding that Staley was accosting officials.

REQUIRED READING: UConn coach Geno Auriemma apologizes for altercation with South Carolina's Dawn Staley

Following the Gamecocks' semifinal win, which snapped the Huskies 54-game winning streak, Staley said, "That's a Geno question," when asked about what led to the confrontation.

Auriemma apologized on Saturday to South Carolina's team and staff in a statement, saying, "there’s no excuse" for how he acted in the final second of the game. He did not mention Staley's name in the statement specifically.

"There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina. It’s unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut," Auriemma wrote in the statement. "I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. It was uncalled for in how I reacted. The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to detract from that. I’ve had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them."

South Carolina and UConn are set to next meet up in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase on Nov. 24, 2026 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

1 / 0Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma bring intensity to SC‑UConn. See photos

The Final Four matchup between South Carolina and UConn was played with intensity throughout, with emotions building as the game reached its closing stretch.That tension surfaced late as the outcome was decided, leading to visible reactions and an exchange between two of women’s basketball’s most prominent coaches.Above, UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley react during the second half of the 2026 Women’s Final Four semifinal at Mortgage Matchup Center.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma have spoken after Final Four confrontation

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