By Wayne Sterling, Jacob Lev, CNN
(CNN) — UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma on Saturday issued an apology and taken full responsibility for his conduct during the closing moments of the Huskies’ season-ending loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday night.
“There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina. It’s unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut,” Auriemma said in a statement released by the university.
“I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. 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 added: “I’ve had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them.”
What happened?
Near the end of UConn’s 62-48 Final Four defeat, Auriemma appeared to exchange heated words with Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley. The two were separated and did not appear to shake hands after the final buzzer; Auriemma walking to the locker room tunnel alone while his players stayed to congratulate their opponents.
Staley told the ESPN broadcast after the game she had “no idea” what sparked with the skirmish, but emphasized her commitment to sportsmanship.
“I’m of integrity,” Staley said. “So, 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. I didn’t know. I went down there pregame, shook everyone on his staff’s hand. … Sometimes things get heated. We move on.”
The 72-year-old Auriemma, the winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, initially refused to elaborate on the incident before eventually expanding on his feelings – originally stating he had “no regrets.”
Prior to Saturday’s apology, Auriemma had expressed frustration over the officiating, specifically regarding a play where Sarah Strong’s jersey was ripped. He also took aim at the pre-game protocol.
“The protocol is before the game you meet at halfcourt. Anybody see that before? Two coaches meet at halfcourt and they shake hands, correct? Ever see it? They announce it on the loudspeaker. I waited there for like three minutes. So it is what it is.”
He also suggested a “double standard” existed regarding how coaches are permitted to communicate with officials.
However, Saturday’s statement marks a reversal of that defensive stance.
With the distraction of the confrontation sidelined, the focus turns back to the court: South Carolina snapped UConn’s 54-game winning streak and will next face UCLA in the national championship game on Monday night in Phoenix.
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