Dawn Staley has had enough of the chatter surrounding her and Geno Auriemma.
Days after a heated exchange between the coaches during South Carolina’s throttling of UConn in the Final Four, Staley called for fans to move on through a statement posted to the Gamecocks’ X account.
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“I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear — I have a great deal of respect for him and what he’s meant to this game,” Staley said in a statement. “One moment doesn’t define a career, and it doesn’t change the impact he’s had on growing women’s basketball. The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that’s something this game has benefited from.
“So, I’m asking everyone to turn the page. Let’s refocus on what matters most — continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward. That’s always been my mission, and it’s not changing.”
Auriemma lost his cool while witnessing UConn careen toward its first loss of the season. In a mid-game interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, the 72-year-old slammed the officiating as “ridiculous” and called out Staley for her “rants and raves” on the sideline. Then just before the final buzzer rang, Auriemma and Staley had to be separated after a fiery interaction at the handshake line.
But unlike Staley, Auriemma didn’t directly address Staley in his apology. He directed his remarks toward “the staff and the team at South Carolina,” a decision fans quickly derided as petty on social media.
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Kudos to Staley for taking the high road that Auriemma steered clear of.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Dawn Staley seeks to ‘turn the page’ after Geno Auriemma argument
