The UConn Huskies crashed out of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, but head coach Geno Auriemma’s antics are the bigger story from the women’s March Madness Final Four.

Friday’s loss against South Carolina marked a new low for Auriemma due to his incredibly unprofessional outburst after the game. Auriemma and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley got into a heated exchange that boiled over following the matchup.

MORE: Watch Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma heated altercation in tense Final Four battle

Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith didn’t waste any time in bashing the UConn head coach for his “horrible” actions at the Final Four.

That was some straight B.S. from the GREAT Geno Auriemma. Never — ever — thought I’d see the day when the greatest woman’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…

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 4, 2026

Many college basketball fans and media immediately jumped to the defense of Staley, who has also been known to be quite fiery during her legendary career. However, Auriemma is the bigger topic after allegedly getting upset at Staley for not shaking hands during pregame shoot-around.

Smith bashes Auriemma’s unprofessional antics

“That was some straight B.S. from the GREAT Geno Auriemma,” Smith said in a viral X post. “Never — ever — thought I’d see the day when the greatest woman’s college coach in history would go down so CLASSLESSLY!!!”

Smith continued on his warpath by suggesting that Staley thoroughly “out coached” Auriemma. Her Gamecocks team is now en route to the national championship game.

MORE: Bryce James’ March Madness experience gets awkward at Final Four

Auriemma is an 11-time national champion, but the UConn legend is known for having a short temper when suffering defeat. The Huskies are regularly in the March Madness mix, but his team has captured one title in the past decade.

Auriemma did point to a serious foul discrepancy in the third quarter during the South Carolina matchup. However, many are still up in arms about how the UConn coach handled the situation with Staley.

“There were six fouls called that quarter — all of them against us,” Auriemma told ESPN. “Their coach rants and raves on the sidelines and calls the referees some names you don’t want to hear.”

Women’s basketball has never been bigger, so the ongoing feud between Auriemma and Staley only increases the sport’s popularity.

Dawn Staley was not happy with coach Geno Auriemma during the fourth quarter of Friday night’s Final Four showdown between the South Carolina Gamecocks and UConn Huskies. Auriemma confronted Staley in an inexplicable moment during the game, as the Huskies were falling apart on the court.

Auriemma claims he was upset that Staley didn’t shake his hand before the game, which she did, which led to a sideline blowout. It was an unfortunate moment between the legendary coaches, which became a talking point after the Gamecocks upset UConn to advance to the national championship.

While the incident was being discussed on social media, a viral video surfaced that showed courtside footage of Staley’s reaction to Auriemma crossing the line.

MORE: Geno Auriemma meltdown ripped by ESPN’s Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike

Staley was understandably upset with Auriemma’s stunt and let out a hilarious reaction to the situation. “I’m gonna beat Geno’s ass,” Staley yelled as she was talking to her staff.

“I’m gonna beat Geno’s ass”

I believe her 😭😭😭 https://t.co/Krfygc3zz9pic.twitter.com/apW9OYfZse

— correlation (@nosyone4) April 4, 2026

No one can blame Staley for being irked by Auriemma, who stormed off the court immediately after the final whistle without shaking hands with the Gamecocks or consoling his players.

“You can ask Geno the question,” Staley, who was an assistant coach under Auriemma for the 2016 Rio Olympics, said when asked about the confrontation. “He’s the one that initiated the conversation. I don’t want what happened there to dampen what we were able to accomplish today.”

MORE: Heartbroken Azzi Fudd brought to tears in emotional Final Four exit interview

Auriemma will have plenty of time to reflect on the moment, with the Huskies now eliminated from the tournament.

Staley and the Gamecocks, meanwhile, will turn their attention to Sunday afternoon, where they will face off against the UCLA Bruins for the title. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —