Geno apologizes to South Carolina for outburst

PHOENIX -- UConn coach Geno Auriemma apologized to the South Carolina staff Saturday after his emotional outburst at South Carolina coach Dawn Staley in the closing seconds of their semifinal game in the Women's Final Four.

In a statement issued through the school, Auriemma said, "There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina. 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 the postgame news conference, Auriemma said he was frustrated that he waited three minutes for the pregame handshake with Staley and said he did not regret comments he made to ESPN reporter 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 told reporters postgame to ask Geno why he was upset. "He's the one that initiated the conversation," Staley said. "I don't want what happened there to dampen what we were able to accomplish today."