Parker faults Auriemma after Staley clash
Candace Parker expressed no sympathy for UConn coach Geno Auriemma following his confrontation with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley after their women's NCAA Final Four semifinal on April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. Auriemma had criticized Staley for skipping a customary pregame handshake, then approached her at halfcourt after the game, prompting her to yell back as staff intervened. Parker, newly elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, commented on the incident Saturday night.
Parker, a former WNBA star now on Amazon Prime's NBA broadcast team, said, "In time, you see people's colors over and over again. And there can be a separation of time with that, but the colors always come to light. I think colors were shown yesterday on both sides, right? However you want to take that."
Auriemma apologized in a statement Saturday, saying, "There’s no excuse for how I handled the end of the game vs. South Carolina. It’s unlike what I do and what our standard is here at Connecticut. I want to apologize to the staff and the team at South Carolina. It was uncalled for in how I reacted. The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don’t want my actions to detract from that. I’ve had a great relationship with their staff, and I sincerely want to apologize to them." The clash ended UConn's undefeated season as South Carolina advanced with revenge over the reigning champions.
Staley declined to dwell on the exchange, stating, "For me, no distractions at this time. I'm concentrating on winning a national championship, that’s it. That’s a little disheartening. This is sports, sometimes things like this happen. Continue to focus on my team and ability to advance in this tournament and hopefully win another national championship." South Carolina faces UCLA Bruins in the national championship game.
