Geno Auriemma apologizes for conduct after UConn’s loss to South Carolina
By David Wasson
Published:
A day after causing a mid-court dustup with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley at the Women’s Final Four, UConn legend Geno Auriemma issued an apology Saturday to the Gamecocks and their coaching staff.
“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina,” Auriemma said in the statement released by the Huskies. “It’s unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut. I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina.
“It was uncalled for in how I reacted.”
Auriemma and Staley had a heated exchange at mid-court in the closing seconds of South Carolina’s 62-48 national semifinal victory in Phoenix. Auriemma approached Staley for a postgame handshake, then angrily got in the South Carolina coach’s face before Staley started chirping back.
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The two coaches, who have won 15 national championships between them (Auriemma 12, Staley three), were separated – with Staley still shouting toward the UConn bench. Auriemma said in his postgame news conference that he was frustrated that he waited three minutes for the pregame handshake with Staley.
“The story should be on how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to detract from that,” Auriemma added in his statement Saturday. “I’ve had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them.”
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An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
