As the clock ticked down on UConn‘s basketball season following its 62-48 defeat to South Carolina, head coaches Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley got into an argument while going to shake hands.
The two were shouting at each other and trying to be held back, and everyone wanted to know what had happened. ESPN’s Holly Rowe asked Staley after the game what she thought.
Staley Reacts to What Happened
“I have no idea, but I am going to let you know this: I am of integrity,” Staley said. “So 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 went down there pre-game and shook everyone on his staff’s hand.”
It’s safe to say that neither coach is a fan of the other, and it will be interesting to see how they get along down the road.
If Staley is correct that the argument was because Auriemma didn’t believe they shook hands before the game, then she has a point, because they actually did.
ESPN aired a video after the game showing Staley walking down the court before the game began, where she shook hands with every coach on the UConn staff, including Auriemma.
It seems there was something else that upset Auriemma, and he mentioned a few things that contributed to his frustration during the game.
Auriemma Went Off On Officials Heading Into The Fourth Quarter
Before the fourth quarter began, Auriemma was not pleased after the Huskies had six fouls called against them, while South Carolina had none.
“There were six fouls called that quarter, all of them against us, and they have been beating the **** out of four guys down here the entire game,” Auriemma said.
When one side appears to be at a disadvantage, the head coach of that team isn’t usually too pleased. However, what likely made him even less happy was witnessing Staley challenge the referees and receive no punishment.
“There, coach rants and raves on the sidelines and calls the referees some names you don’t want to hear, and now we get six to zero, and I got a kid with a ripped jersey, and they go I didn’t see it,” Auriemma said.
Auriemma was frustrated the entire game, and that likely was the reason he and Staley started going after each other.
Staley is one of the top coaches in basketball, not just in women’s sports, while Auriemma has been the standout women’s basketball coach, winning an impressive 12 titles at UConn. Auriemma might realize that Staley poses a threat to him, which could be one reason he is not one of her greatest fans.
Auriemma has engaged in this kind of interaction with other coaches in the past, including the former Tennessee head coach, Pat Summitt. In the mid-2000s, Auriemma and Summit were at the top of women’s college basketball, winning titles left and right, but they did not have a good relationship and maybe Auriemma sees the same thing with Staley.
Dawn Staley Explains Aftermath of Her Postgame Argument With Geno Auriemma