Overview
- UConn coach Geno Auriemma released a second, personal apology Tuesday, saying after a call with South Carolina’s Dawn Staley that he “lost myself” and that she and her team deserved better.
- Dawn Staley said Tuesday she spoke with Auriemma and urged fans to “turn the page,” stressing her respect for his impact on the sport.
- The confrontation followed South Carolina’s 62-48 win over UConn on Friday in the Final Four, when the coaches traded words, staff intervened, and Auriemma left without joining the postgame handshake line.
- Auriemma first apologized Saturday to South Carolina’s staff and players without naming Staley, and Staley said Sunday after the title game loss to UCLA that she had not yet heard from him.
- Both programs now turn to the offseason, with a rematch already scheduled for Nov. 24, 2026 at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Connecticut.