Geno Auriemma Breaks Down the Handshake That Blew Up: "I Feel Like a Dumbass"

A month has passed since Geno Auriemma's moment at the Final Four, and the UConn women's basketball coach is still reckoning with what went down. On Monday, he looked back at that postgame confrontation with South Carolina's Dawn Staley, and his words were blunt: he regrets how it all played out.

What Happened in Phoenix

Let's set the scene. April 3 in Phoenix. UConn, riding a perfect season, just got absolutely stonewalled by South Carolina, 62-48. The Gamecocks ended the Huskies' 54-game win streak and earned their spot in the national championship game. As the final seconds ticked down, Auriemma and Staley walked toward each other like they were about to shake hands. That's when things went sideways. Instead of extending his hand, Auriemma made a comment to Staley. She didn't take it well. The two had to be separated on the sideline. Auriemma was led away, but came back past Staley, who kept shouting at him. In his postgame presser, Auriemma complained about South Carolina's physical play and took a shot at Staley's sideline behavior, saying she "rants and raves" and "calls the referees some names you don't wanna hear."

The Apology Tour Begins

The next day, Auriemma apologized, but didn't name Staley. A few days later, he apologized again, this time specifically mentioning Staley and saying he'd spoken with her about it. Staley responded with a statement saying she'd moved on from the dispute. But on Monday, Auriemma was candid about the aftermath: "When I walked into the locker room afterward with the coaches, you are just shaking your head, thinking five more seconds, you couldn't keep it in for five more seconds." He owned it. "We are all human, and we all do dumb s---."

The Internet Doesn't Forget

Sports media and social media had a field day. Auriemma said he didn't see much of it, but acknowledged "some of it was warranted and some of it was people lying in the weeds waiting for that moment." At 72 years old and with 1,288 NCAA coaching victories on his resume, Auriemma knows the score: "It doesn't matter what you've done for the game, it's what you just did." The Huskies finished 38-1 after that loss, and Auriemma took responsibility for the chaos. "I brought the criticism on myself," he said. "I didn't bring the commotion that came after that on myself."

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