UConn’s Geno Auriemma reveals details of private Dawn Staley apology

UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma revealed he privately apologized to South Carolina counterpart Dawn Staley April 7, four days after an emotionally heated Final Four game between the two teams.

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“This morning, Dawn Staley and I spoke about our interaction after the game last Friday,” Auriemma said in a statement posted to the Huskies’ official X account. “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.”

During the fourth quarter of the Huskies’ loss to the Gamecocks, Auriemma confronted South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, which led to a heated exchange near midcourt.

One day later, Auriemma released a statement apologizing for his actions.

“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina,” Auriemma said. “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.

More to come on this story.