PHOENIX — UConn coach Geno Auriemma apologized to the South Carolina staff Saturday for his emotional outburst at Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley in the closing seconds of their national semifinal at the women’s Final Four.
“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina,” Auriemma said in a statement issued through the school. “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. 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.”
In the waning seconds of UConn’s 62-48 loss to South Carolina, Auriemma approached Staley for a postgame handshake then angrily got in her face before Staley started firing back.
The two were separated, but Staley kept shouting toward the UConn bench before walking away. Auriemma walked off to the tunnel alone.
In his postgame news conference, Auriemma said he was frustrated that he waited three minutes for a pregame handshake with Staley and said he did not regret comments he made to ESPN’s Holly Rowe during the broadcast in which he lamented the lack of fouls against South Carolina and said Staley “rants and raves” at the officials and “calls the referees some names you don’t want to hear.”
Staley said Saturday that she was focused on the title game against UCLA on Sunday and not what happened a night earlier.
“Nothing, nothing can derail us, or me, from staying with the task at hand,” Staley said. “There are a lot of distractions that are placed in your life. You’re either going to address them and let it overcome or you stick with the task at hand.”
She later said that she would address the incident with Auriemma at a later point.
The UConn coach’s statement apologized to the South Carolina team and staff but did not mention Staley by name. She noted Friday night that she didn’t want the situation to overshadow the accomplishment of her team — reaching a fourth championship game in the past five tournaments and six consecutive Final Fours. Despite her desire, that has become the biggest storyline of the weekend.
“Yeah, that’s a little disheartening,” Staley said. “At the same time, this is sports. Sometimes things like this happen. That’s why I’m just going to continue to focus on our team and their ability to advance in this tournament, hopefully win another national championship.”
The two-time AP Coach of the Year credited senior point guard Raven Johnson for calming her down in the heat of the moment. As Staley was being circled and restrained by her staff, Johnson slid up from the back and calmly gave her coach a high-five.
“It’s just so classic Raven,” Staley said. “I mean, she makes me laugh even in the most difficult situations because she’s so innocent. Like, she really is a really kindhearted young lady. Sometimes you need people around you to put things in perspective.
“It truly was a calming for her to do that. Just to break the ice of what was happening in real time.”
Johnson chuckled and said she didn’t really know why she gave the high-five. The goal was just to calm her coach down.
A former point guard, Staley is known to be tough on those who play the position, and that duo has been together in the spotlight for four years. Johnson has never missed a Final Four during her career as the two have formed a close bond.
“I honestly just saw her screaming,” Johnson said. “Something she doesn’t usually do. I ran over to her quick. Like, I don’t play about Coach Staley at all. We’ve been through a lot together. She fights for each one of us outside of basketball.
“When she’s in situations like this, I’m always going to have her back.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
