Geno Auriemma sparks backlash after incomplete apology misses the mark originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma had a moment on Friday night that was in a word, regrettable. Following a 62-48 loss to South Carolina, with emotions running high, Auriemma created a scene during the post-game handshake.
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The handshake fiasco was without a doubt the biggest story yesterday. It wasn’t how South Carolina pulled away in the 4th quarter with disciplined basketball. It wasn’t UCLA making its first Women’s National Championship game. The biggest story was Auriemma unraveling and being less than gracious in defeat.
If no one watched what transpired, this was a bad look. For Auriemma, for UConn and for Women’s College Basketball. However, many people watched it. Within minutes of the altercation, the internet was ablaze with commentary on Auriemma’s behavior.
One of the more common comments made on various social media platforms was, “Geno needs to apologize”. The good news is Auriemma did apologize. Or at least, issued an apology statement via the official UConn Women’s Basketball Twitter.
The statement was missing two important words
The apology statement for a situation such as this, was expected and needed. Even considering the gravity of that game, what transpired simply has no place in college basketball. Which is reflected in the first line of the statement.
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The second section that speaks to standards and what Auriemma does is peculiar as he touched on this in the post-game press conference. He spent a few minutes talking about not taking away from the game and what the Gamecocks were able to do. Yet it came off as a contradiction in the moment.
He went on to double down on the detracting from South Carolina’s accomplishment. He also called his reaction “uncalled for”. Before addressing the missing two words, the “great relationship” is flat out confusing given the events of last night.
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In Auriemma’s statement, he claims to have had a “great relationship with their staff”. Last night when taking questions from the media pool, Auriemma was asked if there is any kind of relationship he has with Dawn Staley, and her implied ‘staff’. “No not really” Auriemma told Kareem Copeland. He said there is respect there, despite last night’s events, but claimed there is no relationship.
The apology was expected. What was not expected was a complete refusal to mention Dawn Staley’s name. The transgression was committed against Staley directly. Her staff did their best to separate the two, but the words and visible frustration directed was directed at Staley. Yet there was no attempt to mention Staley directly at all.
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The provided motivations were incorrect
The situation began in the 3rd quarter. There was a play involving Sarah Strong. She missed a hook shot just outside the painted area. After that miss, Strong tore her own jersey in what looked like a frustration move. There was no foul on the play.
When the quarter ended, Auriemma went on a profane rant about the officiating, fairness and demanding to know why a foul wasn’t called when Strong’s jersey was torn. The short and objective answer is Strong was not fouled on that play in any way.
The second motivation was a claim that Staley did not participate in a pre-game handshake. Auriemma painted a picture of him waiting for Staley to arrive at center court for three minutes and she never showed.
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There was a pre-game handshake between the two head coaches. It just didn’t happen at center court during the previously established time for that to happen. Within minutes of his press conference statement of the non-handshake, videos began circulating showing Staley shaking every UConn coach’s hand, including Auriemma.
The apology statement was warranted. Hopefully the UConn coach can move on after this. However, the statement lacked a few things that should have been included. That said, college basketball fans can and should now focus on UCLA vs South Carolina on Sunday.
