Tensions boiled over as South Carolina ended UConn’s 54-game win streak to advance to the women’s National Championship game. Both head coaches, Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley, were involved in a post-game incident, igniting a reaction from several people, including a former WNBA Champion.
Two-time WNBA Champion and former USC star Lisa Leslie congratulated head coach Dawn Staley for out-strategizing the UConn Huskies in the Final Four matchup. The 53-year-old, though, did not mince her words while sharing her opinion on the social media platform, X, about the way UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacted to the defeat.
Leslie tweeted, “Congratulations to @dawnstaley and the @GamecockWBB team on an outstanding game plan executed to perfection! It’s a real shame that #Geno took the low road! We have all had to lose with class! Geno of the @UConnWBB needs to start with an apology!!!”
Congratulations to @dawnstaley and the @GamecockWBB team on an outstanding game plan executed to perfection! It’s a real shame that #Geno took the low road! We have all had to lose with class! Geno of the @UConnWBB needs to start with an apology!!! #GenoApologize
— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) April 4, 2026
Dawn Staley’s game plan restricted UConn to just 48 points, its lowest-scoring game in the last four years. The South Carolina Gamecocks dominated in physicality and cramped the Huskies’ stars for space. With pressure mounting on UConn’s players, their shooting suffered, with the Huskies making just 31.1% of their field goals in the defeat.
Apart from being a former WNBA Champion, Leslie is also a Hall of Famer and has experienced what it’s like coaching during her time in the BIG3 League. Her four years at USC did not yield a National Championship. But the Center amassed several national honors, and her splendid career saw the NCAA rename the ‘Center of the Year’ award to the Lisa Leslie Award in 2018.
It’s a shame that the talking point of a brilliant game became what happened afterward. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma had an intense verbal exchange with Dawn Staley, with officials and support staff having to intervene and separate the two before any further escalation.
Geno later pointed out his frustration about the officiating as well, citing the disparity in foul calls received by the two teams. The 72-year-old walked out without shaking hands with the South Carolina Gamecocks, citing in the post-game that Staley didn’t do the same during the pre-game as the veteran waited for ‘like three minutes.’
However, footage shows the two head coaches engaged in a pre-game handshake, which further substantiates people’s criticism of Geno’s poor reaction stemming from the defeat that snapped their 54-game streak and knocked them out of the National Championship.
Losing is a term that was almost erased from Geno Auriemma’s dictionary, with the recent success his Huskies had on the floor, especially after going unbeaten in the regular season. And while it is difficult to adjust to the reality of being knocked out, especially by a former assistant of his, Geno could have handled it with more class and grace.
Leslie is not the only one to point out the obvious, though.
Stephen A. Smith highlights ‘horrible look’ for Hall of Famer Geno
Geno Auriemma’s legacy is well-established within college basketball, with the 72-year-old winning 12 National Championships and leading UConn to an era of dominance in women’s basketball. However, his reaction to the March Madness 2026 Final Four defeat to South Carolina is a ‘horrible look’ for him, according to basketball expert Stephen A. Smith.
The 58-year-old presenter tweeted, “Never — ever — thought I’d see the day when the greatest women’s college coach in history would go down so CLASSLESSLY!!! Horrible look, and should be called out for it. He got OUTCOACHED. Plain and simple. And gets in her face like she did something wrong to him instead of being gracious.”
Look for yourself. Can’t believe Geno did this. Couldn’t take losing to Dawn Staley. Simply and plain. Horrible, horrible look for him. Straight B…. Move:https://t.co/TjnnQJMIsI
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 4, 2026
Geno Auriemma is not just a head coach or a Hall of Famer. The 72-year-old’s legacy makes him a role model for other coaches and aspiring ones as well. His verbal spat with Dawn Staley felt like a knee-jerk reaction to the defeat, making the moment about himself when his players needed him most.
Also, it took away from a watershed moment for South Carolina and Dawn Staley, who exacted revenge for their 2025 loss to UConn, which stopped the Gamecocks from defending the National title. The victory on Friday ensured Staley & Co. can stop UConn from doing the same.
While Geno stood by his behavior and remarks post-game, a head coach of his stature will slowly come to terms with whatever happened. It will be intriguing to see what the 72-year-old thinks of his actions a few weeks down the line.
