Geno Auriemma, Dawn Staley get into heated exchange after UConn's Final Four loss: What we know

Geno Auriemma's team lost for the first time in 55 games on Friday, and he lost his cool at the buzzer

South Carolina's stunning upset win over UConn in the Final Four on Friday night was overshadowed by a bizarre incident between Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley and Huskies coach Geno Auriemma -- two of the all-time greats -- just before the final buzzer. 

The Gamecocks were up by 14 and running out the clock. Before UConn inbounded the ball to officially end the game, however, Auriemma started walking toward the South Carolina bench. As he passed by Staley, tempers suddenly flared. 

Both parties had to be held back by their respective coaching staffs and the officials, and the game was slightly delayed. When the game finally did end, Auriemma walked off without acknowledging anyone on the South Carolina side. 

Geno Auriemma exchanged words with Dawn Staley in the final seconds of South Carolina and UConn’s Final Four matchup. pic.twitter.com/S6anlPKqwe

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 4, 2026

Staley, in a postgame interview with ESPN, said she thought maybe Auriemma was upset about a lack of pregame handshake between the two coaches. The two did shake hands at some point before tip-off, however.

"I have no idea. But I'm gonna let you know this: I'm of integrity. I'm of integrity," Staley said. "So if I did something wrong to Geno -- I don't know 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. Sometimes, things get heated. We move on.

Earlier in the game, during his interview with Holly Rowe between the third and fourth quarters, Auriemma had ranted about the refs and called out Staley's behavior on the sideline. 

"There were six fouls called that quarter – all of them against us. And they've been beating the shit out of our guys down there the entire game. And I'm not making excuses because we haven't been able to make a shot, but this is ridiculous," Auriemma said. "Their coach [Staley] rants and raves on the sideline and calls the referees some names you don't want to hear. And now we get six to zero and I've a kid with a ripped jersey, and they go, 'I didn't see it.' C'mon man. This is for the national championship."

UConn's stunning loss ended the Huskies' perfect season, their 54-game winning streak (which was tied for the fourth-longest all time) and their quest for back-to-back championships. No team has won back-to-back titles since UConn won four in a row from 2013-16. 

South Carolina will play the winner of UCLA and Texas in the national championship on Sunday. This is the Gamecocks' third consecutive appearance in the national championship game, and they are seeking their fourth title under Staley.