*South Carolina ladies’s basketball head coach Daybreak Staley is publicly closing the door on her dispute with UConn’s Geno Auriemma, releasing an announcement Tuesday asking followers to maneuver previous the controversy that spilled into the open throughout the Ultimate 4, the New York Publish experiences.
The friction between the 2 coaches grew to become a viral flashpoint after South Carolina knocked out UConn within the semifinals. Reviews indicated that Auriemma was angered by what he seen as Staley not extending a handshake earlier than tip-off, and that pressure boiled over visibly throughout their postgame alternate on the courtroom, with the footage rapidly taking up social media feeds.
In her assertion, Staley confirmed she had related with Auriemma personally and made some extent of recognizing his place within the sport. “I spoke with Geno, and I wish to be clear — I’ve a substantial amount of respect for him and what he’s meant to this recreation,” she mentioned. She additionally gave him credit score for constructing ladies’s basketball into what it’s right this moment, noting, “The usual at UConn is what it’s due to him, and that’s one thing this recreation has benefited from.”
Fairly than dwelling on the incident, Staley pointed towards what comes subsequent. “So, I’m asking everybody to show the web page. Let’s refocus on what issues most — persevering with to raise our recreation, creating alternatives and pushing it ahead,” she mentioned. “That’s all the time been my mission, and it’s not altering.”
The assertion got here on the heels of South Carolina’s title recreation defeat to UCLA. Talking to reporters afterward, Staley acknowledged she had not but obtained any outreach from Auriemma.
Auriemma subsequently launched a public apology, conceding that his conduct was out of character. “I wish to apologize to the employees and the crew at South Carolina. It was uncalled for in how I reacted,” he mentioned.
The mission is unchanged – let’s develop our recreation 🫡 pic.twitter.com/mJxqlUy6CK
— South Carolina Ladies’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) April 7, 2026
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Daybreak Staley’s South Carolina Crushed by UCLA 79-51 for First Ladies’s Basketball Title | WATCH
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