NCAA: South Carolina's Dawn Staley moving on from spat with UConn's Geno Auriemma

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said Tuesday she has moved past an on-court spat with UConn coach Geno Auriemma during the Women's Final Four and hopes others will do the same.

The two coaching legends clashed after Staley's Gamecocks defeated the defending champion Huskies 62-48 in Friday's national semifinal.

"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," Staley said in a statement. "One moment doesn't define a career, and it doesn't change the impact he's had on growing women's basketball. 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. That's always been my mission, and it's not changing."

On Tuesday night, Auriemma released a new statement apologizing to Staley directly. His initial statement on Saturday did not mention her by name.

"This morning, Dawn Staley and I spoke about our interaction after the game last Friday," Auriemma wrote. "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. 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. The game deserves it."

The incident occurred in the final seconds of the game when Staley and Auriemma approached each other as if to shake hands. Auriemma did not extend his hand and said something to Staley, who reacted angrily. Both coaches were separated, and staffers helped calm the situation.

When asked on ESPN about the dispute, Staley said, "I have no idea. But I'mma let you know this: I'm of integrity. If I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did. I guess he thought I didn't shake his hand at the beginning of the game. I did pregame, shook everybody on his staff's hand. Sometimes things get heated. We move on."

Auriemma explained that he was frustrated with officiating calls against UConn and also waited three minutes for a pregame handshake with Staley.

Auriemma, 72, is the NCAA's all-time winningest coach, leading the Huskies to 12 national titles, including last year. UConn suffered its first loss of the season Friday, ending a 54-game win streak and finishing 38-1.

Staley, 55, has guided South Carolina to three national titles. The Gamecocks appeared in their third straight national championship game and fourth in five years on Sunday but fell to UCLA 79-51, ending the season at 36-4.

—Field Level Media/Reuters