"A visibly upset Auriemma went over to Staley in the waning seconds of South Carolina's 62-48 victory over his UConn team in the Final Four and appeared to chastise her before the two shook hands. Staley responded with 'don't do that' while assistant coaches from both teams separated them."
"Auriemma later said the exchange was about the lack of a traditional pregame handshake between the coaches. Staley said she was confused, stating, 'I have no idea... I'm of integrity. So if I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did.'"
"Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, a former Olympic teammate of Staley, posted on X: 'It's a real shame that #Geno took the low road! We have all had to lose with class! Geno of the @UConnWBB needs to start with an apology!!!'"
Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma's rivalry reached a dramatic peak during the Final Four, following South Carolina's 62-48 victory over UConn. Auriemma confronted Staley about a perceived lack of a pregame handshake, which Staley denied, expressing confusion over the incident. The exchange escalated, prompting assistant coaches to intervene. Auriemma left the court without shaking hands, leading to social media backlash, including criticism from Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, who called for Auriemma to apologize for his behavior.
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