For years, Dawn Staley had to force herself to congratulate Geno Auriemma after watching his UConn teams beat her by 20, 30, or even 40 points. The South Carolina head coach knew that repeatedly facing the Huskies was part of the process of building a program that could challenge them. It all culminated in a viral Final Four confrontation last season, when South Carolina beat UConn, and a year later, Staley is suggesting the handshake that sparked the debate was never the whole story.
“I’m gonna speak about it right now, because I haven’t talked about it,” Staley said during an appearance on Grey Matter with Declan Kelly.
Advertisement
“Geno really thinks it’s about the handshake, and it has very little to do with the handshake… I respect, you know, what he’s done for the game, and I think he’s a genius of a coach. Understand this. When we play UConn, whether I was at Temple or here in South Carolina, and they were the overarching favorites, and they played that way, and they beat us… I made a point to always, after the game, shake his hand, look him in his eye, congratulate him, and move on. “
Staley’s recollection of her mindset provides context for the confrontation that took place on April 3, 2026. South Carolina had just beaten UConn 62-48 in the national semifinal to advance to their third consecutive national championship game, ending the Huskies’ 54-game winning streak. What was already a high-stakes night turned emotionally charged soon after.
With about a second left, Auriemma and Staley met at mid-court, seemingly beginning to shake hands, but then quickly exchanged some heated words, having to be separated by assistants and staff. Auriemma then opted out of the postgame handshakes, with the moment quickly becoming the biggest moment of the night.
Advertisement
Staley added, “I made myself do that, even though I probably was thinking and feeling some other way… But I made a point to do that because I knew the more we play them, the more we’ll get acclimated to playing them. I thought that we would beat them at some point. And that’s what started to happen.”
It made sense considering her recent history. Auriemma and UConn hold a 9-7 advantage over Staley and the Gamecocks in the head-to-head between the two sides. However, things had shifted in Staley’s favor, with South Carolina winning seven of the nine most recent showdowns.
The handshake itself quickly became central to the dispute between the two sides. Auriemma later explained that he had waited for Staley at midcourt before the game for three minutes, and her not reaching out had upset him. Staley, however, had “no idea” what happened.
“I’m going to let you know this: I’m of integrity,” she said when asked about the incident.
Advertisement
“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.”
The reason why Staley was confused was that she had already shaken Auriemma’s hand earlier in the pregame preparation, but not after introductions. According to official NCAA policies, after starting lineups are announced, the coaches of the two sides are supposed to shake hands at midcourt.
A day later, Auriemma issued an apology for the confrontation through a statement, with Staley making it clear that she had already moved on to the Gamecocks’ national title game against UCLA and wanted to put the situation behind her.
Earlier this year, upon looking back at the incident, Auriemma expressed regret for how it played out.
Advertisement
“You do things in the spur of the moment sometimes, but they usually come from things that have been building up for some time,” Auriemma said in May, speaking to reporters for the first time since the confrontation.
“When I walked into the locker room afterward, you’re just shaking your head going, five more seconds, you couldn’t keep it in for five more seconds?… I just feel like a dumba– for the way it played out. We are all human and we all do dumb s—.”
Now, after Staley’s view on the situation has been revealed, it provides a more personal explanation of the history behind the incident, emphasizing that her respect for Auriemma can exist alongside the competitive emotions that have accompanied their rivalry.
Trending Articles
Advertisement
The post “Has Very Little to Do With The Handshake”: Dawn Staley Provides Insight Over Her Viral Heated Exchange With Geno Auriemma appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
