Dawn Staley Urges Fans to Forgive Geno Auriemma After Their Shouting Match: 'Turn the Page'

Natasha DyeTue, April 7, 2026 at 8:04 PM UTC

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Dawn Staley; Geno AuriemmaCredit: Christian Petersen/Getty; Jordan Murph/Sports Illustrated via Getty -

In a statement on April 7, Dawn Staley asked fans to move on from the tense interaction she had with UConn head coach Geno Auriemma in the women's Final Four game

Staley shared that she spoke with Auriemma, who she has "a great deal of respect for" and credited him for "the standard at UConn"

"Let's refocus on what matters most — continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward," Staley said in her statement

Dawn Staley wants to move on after her heated exchange with UConn coach Geno Auriemma.Staley, 55, addressed the incident with Auriemma, 72, in a statement on the South Carolina Gamecocks' X account on Tuesday, April 7, urging fans to move on from the tense moment between the head coaches in the women's Final Four matchup on April 3."With the college women’s basketball season behind us, it’s time to move forward and close the chapter on how our semifinal game with UConn ended," Staley began in her message on Tuesday.

Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma on April 3, 2026Credit: C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty

Staley continued, "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. 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," the Gamecocks coach continued. "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," Staley said concluding her statement.After Staley's Gamecocks lost to the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA championship on April 5, Staley was asked if she had heard from Auriemma. Despite ESPN's Rebecca Lobo claiming on the broadcast that Auriemma had already "personally" reached out to Staley, the South Carolina coach said she hadn't heard from him. "I have not heard from Geno," Staley told reporters, adding, "I don't know if he texted or not, but, it's UCLA's day, right? Let's keep UCLA, them winning the national championship...I will address all of that at another time."

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Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma on April 3, 2026Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty

The tension between the head coaches began when Auriemma was visibly frustrated after his previously undefeated team's loss to South Carolina.In an interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe during the game, Auriemma complained about the officiating and referenced Staley's behavior. "There were six fouls called that quarter —all of them against us, and they've been beating the s--- out of our guys down there the entire game," he told Rowe. "I'm not making excuses, 'cause we haven't been able to make a shot. But this is ridiculous.”

He also said Staley "rants and raves on the sideline and calls the referee some names you don't want to hear" while speaking to Rowe, and he later left the court before shaking hands with the opposing team.One day later, Auriemma apologized in a statement addressing his poor sportsmanship but did not mention Staley by name."There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina," he began in the message. "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."

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Source: “AOL Sports”