South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley might be a fierce competitor on the sideline, but she knows when to rein in her emotions.
Last Friday night, Geno Auriemma took out his frustrations on Staley after UConn fell short to South Carolina in the Final Four. During his postgame press conference, he suggested that Staley too long to arrive for their pregame handshake.
For what it's worth though, ESPN's camera crew showed Auriemma and Staley shaking hands at midcourt.
“For 41 years I’ve been coaching and, I don’t know, 25 Final Fours. The protocol is before the game you meet at half court. Anybody see that before? Two coaches meet at half court and they shake hands, correct? You ever see it? They announced it o the loud speaker,” Auriemma said. “I waited there for like three minutes. So it is what it is.”
Auriemma ultimately apologized for his Final Four outburst prior to Sunday's national championship between South Carolina and UCLA.
"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. 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."
© Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Staley, meanwhile, waited until after the national title game to fully address Auriemma's actions. Instead of adding more fuel to the fire, she simply said it's time for people to move on from this situation.
Additionally, Staley let the world know that she stills respects Auriemma and his legacy.
"I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear — I have a great deal of respect for him and what he’s meant to this game. One moment doesn’t define a career, and it doesn’t change the impact he’s had on growing women’s basketball. The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that’s something this game has benefited from," Staley said. "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. That’s always been my mission and it’s not changing."
Fans praise Dawn Staley's response.
Unsurprisingly, Staley's statement on Tuesday was well-received by the basketball community.
"Taking the high road and being gracious. Good stuff from Dawn Staley," Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio said.
"Dawn Staley, conducting a master class on how to deal with a difficult moment," NBA columnist David Aldridge wrote.
"It’s this type of attitude and mindset as to why I hoped they won it all," one fan replied.
"You are so classy Dawn! But it’s still up and stuck when it comes to Geno for me because the apology to you should have been louder than the disrespect," another fan said.
South Carolina fell short of its ultimate goal this season, but at least Staley lost with grace.
