Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma have been on the precipice of women’s college basketball for a few years now. Auriemma is certainly more than Staley. But the South Carolina coach has made her own legacy in over 17 years with the Gamecocks. She has won 3 NCAA championships (2017, 2022 and 2024).
Auriemma, on the other hand, has won a record 12 national championships in his illustrious career of over 40 years. 2 legends of the game have faced each other 16 times. And 14 times in the last 10 years or so. However, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks have been accused of docking the competition with Geno Auriemma’s UConn. Staley recently addressed those allegations and threw them out of the window.
“We’ve been accused of ducking and all of that crap. Come on. We’ve played UConn the past 11 seasons. Now is the time to duck?”#Gamecock HC Dawn Staley on the importance playing #UConn next season. The programs have played at least once in each of the last 11 seasons.… pic.twitter.com/4REgx82QGS
— Chaz R Frazier (@Chazf_tv) November 6, 2025
“It is important. Like, we’ve been accused of ducking and all that cr*p. Like, come on. When we have played UConn for the past, I don’t know, eleven seasons, now is the time to dock? You know, we could’ve docked seven, eight, nine years ago,” Dawn Staley said.
“No, it’s just so happened that I think they got more games scheduled in their conference. So it was hard to keep it at home. But we will find a way to play. Unfortunately for us it’s Hall of Fame. So I mean, it’s a great competition for us and for women’s basketball,” Staley concluded.
Fans React to Dawn Staley’s Statement on Facing Geno Auriemma’s UConn
Some fans trolled Staley, while some rallied behind South Carolina’s HC.
“So in reality it’s UConn who ducked,” one fan said.
“Azzi still has her feelings hurt I see,” one fan mocked Staley.
“She plays high school caliber teams preseason every season, whereas UConn is basically in a Junior College league… so they both dodge real challenge,” one fan claimed.
“No one real thinks you are ducking anybody. It’s twitter banter,” another fan explained.
“We the only team in the country that will play anybody anywhere at anytime,” another fan commented.
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