Geno Auriemma, Dawn Staley have heated sideline argument in Final Four game

At the heart of rivalry is true indignation with the other side.

That’s the best way to describe the heated exchange between UConn coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley after South Carolina’s 62-48 Final Four win over UConn.

With less than a second left, Auriemma walked up to Staley, sharing some perturbed words that immediately visibly infuriated Staley.

Staley shared with ESPN’s Holly Rowe that she didn’t know what spurred Auriemma’s frustration with her, but the legendary UConn coach eventually walked off without shaking any South Carolina hands or even waiting for his own team.

“I have no idea,” Staley said when Rowe asked her about what sparked the exchange. “But imma let you know this: I’m of integrity. I’m of integrity. So if 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 didn’t know, I went down there pregame, shook everybody on his staff’s hand, I don’t know what he came with after the game. But hey, sometimes things get heated, we move on.”

This story will be updated. 

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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