Staley Praises Close, Defers Auriemma Drama After UCLA Title
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- UCLA won their first NCAA women's basketball championship, routing South Carolina 79-51 in a wire-to-wire victory in Cori Close's 15th season as head coach.
- Dawn Staley heaped praise on Close, calling her "one of those people who really works at making our game better," a tone sharply different from how she addressed the Auriemma situation.
- Geno Auriemma angrily confronted Staley after UConn's 62-48 semifinal loss to South Carolina on Friday, and later issued a statement saying "There's no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina" — without mentioning Staley by name.
- Staley said she had not heard from Auriemma despite a broadcast report from Rebecca Lobo that he had reached out to apologize, noting she has hundreds of unread text messages and 800 in total.
- Staley said she plans to address the Auriemma situation "at another time," saying "We're not going to damper UCLA's day with it," after the two coaches shared a long, laughing hug along the sideline before the championship.
- Staley, a two-time AP Coach of the Year, noted she didn't win her first title until her 17th year as a head coach (including eight at Temple), underscoring her understanding of Close's long journey.
Why it matters: Staley's pointed praise of Close — and pointed silence toward Auriemma — reframes the championship narrative around sportsmanship and mutual respect while leaving the apology dispute unresolved. The public split between two of the most visible figures in women's basketball, one issuing a statement and the other claiming no contact, keeps the controversy alive into the offseason and shapes how fans remember the weekend.
