Geno Auriemma, written here as geno auriemma, criticized the officiating and confronted Dawn Staley after UConn's 62-48 Final Four loss to South Carolina in Phoenix, saying his team could not make shots and that calls went against the Huskies.
The coach delivered a pointed in-game interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe late in the third quarter, saying there were six fouls called that period and all were against UConn, and that South Carolina had been physically dominating the paint, as reported by AP and shown in the broadcast.
AP reported Auriemma said the Gamecocks' coach "rants and raves on the sideline" and used names for officials "you don't want to hear," and that UConn had a ripped jersey which officials did not acknowledge during the sequence, according to the broadcast transcript cited by AP.
In the final seconds, Auriemma walked toward Staley on the sideline and the two exchanged angry words, forcing assistants and officials to separate them, with Auriemma ultimately leaving the court without a postgame handshake, as described in multiple accounts.
On performance, AP reported UConn stars struggled. Sarah Strong finished with 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting, and Azzi Fudd scored eight on 3-of-15, including 2-of-9 from long range, figures that AP said helped explain UConn's season-low 48 points.
Reactions Consequences And Game Context
Fudd told reporters she felt she let the team down and called some shots and possessions rushed, according to AP, while teammates tried to console freshman contributors after missed opportunities late in the game.
Auriemma stood by his in-game remarks to ESPN and later apologized for his conduct, according to AP, while Staley said on ESPN she had shaken hands with UConn's staff pregame and denied any intentional slight, adding she is "of integrity" in her postgame comments.
The contest was physical, with AP noting UConn was whistled for 17 fouls to South Carolina's eight, and the Gamecocks held a 47-32 rebounding edge, per the same report. Another account cited UConn shooting 31 percent and Strong producing 11 points with 12 rebounds, showing slight variations in postgame statistics across reports.
The loss ended UConn's long winning sequence and halted an unbeaten regular season that had stood at 38-0 entering the Final Four, and South Carolina will advance to face UCLA in the national championship game, as noted in the game coverage.
