Dawn Staley has issued a plea to the sports world in the wake of her confrontation with Geno Auriemma.
South Carolina's head coach issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon, April 7. She revealed that she has spoken with Auriemma in the wake of their controversy. The South Carolina head coach and the UConn head coach got into it on the sideline toward the end of Friday night's Final Four game in Phoenix. Auriemma appeared to be upset with an alleged lack of respect during a pregame handshake, while Staley was furious at the UConn coach for the confrontation.
But it's behind them now.
Staley says that she has spoken with Auriemma since the confrontation. She stated that she has a lot of respect for him. She added that women's basketball has benefited greatly from the "standard" that Auriemma has set at UConn.
South Carolina's head coach is pleading with everyone to move on.
"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," she asked.
"That's always been my mission, and it's not changing."
Auriemma, who has won 12 national championships, also apologized for his behavior on Friday night.
UCLA went on to beat South Carolina in the national title game on Sunday.
Auriemma's apology
"There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina," Auriemma said in a statement issued through the school. "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."
