PHOENIX, ARIZ. — UConn head coach Geno Auriemma apologized on Saturday in Phoenix for his conduct following a verbal exchange with South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley at the end of Friday's Final Four semifinal. The exchange occurred in the final seconds of the game at midcourt, and coaches from both teams had to be separated.

South Carolina defeated Connecticut 62-48 in the semifinal, ending the Huskies' 54-game winning streak. After the game ended, Auriemma walked off the court to the locker room without shaking hands with anyone from South Carolina.

"There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina," Auriemma said Saturday. "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."

He also said, "I've had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them."

Before issuing his apology, Auriemma had offered a different account of events. "The protocol is, before the game, you meet at halfcourt. The two coaches meet at halfcourt and they shake hands. They announce it on the loud speaker," he said. "I waited there for like three minutes." He also said, "I said what I said, and obviously she didn't like it. I just told the truth." Auriemma added, "We don't have a lot in common."

Staley, speaking after Friday's game, said she was uncertain what prompted the confrontation. "I have no idea," she said. "I'm of integrity. I'm of integrity. So if I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did."

She added, "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 sometimes things get heated, we move on."

"That's a little disheartening. This is sports, sometimes things like this happen. Continue to focus on my team and ability to advance in this tournament and hopefully win another national championship," she said. She said she would address the exchange at a later point.

A representative for the University of South Carolina said the athletics program would not issue a statement on Auriemma's actions and referred to Staley's public interview responses.

Auriemma has won 12 national championships at UConn, while Staley has led South Carolina to three national titles. Connecticut defeated South Carolina in the 2025 national championship game, after which the two coaches met for a hug at halfcourt.