In the Final Four battle on Friday, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks defeated Geno Auriemma’s UConn 62-48 and took revenge for last season’s national championship title game. Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd, and the rest of the UConn squad just weren’t up to the mark.
During the third quarter, six fouls were called, and all were against the UConn Huskies. This infuriated Auriemma. Just before the timeout in the third quarter, Sarah missed a layup and then ripped her jersey in frustration. During the timeout, Geno Auriemma went off.
He accused Dawn of ranting and raving and bad-mouthing refs. He also alleged dirty physical play from the Gamecocks. Sarah, however, in the post-game press conference, cleared the air about her ripped jersey.
“It was an accident. I missed my shot, ripped it by accident,” a dejected Sarah Strong said.
Fans were furious at Geno Auriemma and demanded that he apologize to Dawn Staley. Geno pointed out rough play by the Gamecocks, saying, “I have a kid with a ripped jersey,” which, in hindsight, wasn’t true, as per Sarah’s clarification. He also accused Dawn of disrespecting him by not shaking his hand, to which Dawn clarified that she did shake everyone’s hand before the game.
How did Dawn Staley’s South Carolina beat Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies?
Dawn Staley very smartly put Raven Johnson to guard Sarah Strong, and Agot Makeer to guard Azzi Fudd. On the defense, there were times when Joyce Edwards stepped in to stop Sarah.
While Fudd was tasked with guarding Tessa Johnson, and Sarah was there for Joyce, the matchup clearly shook up the UConn Huskies’ strategies.
Fudd and Sarah were way off their game. They only scored 7-31 from the field and combined for just 20 points. Ta’Niya Latson emerged as the biggest beneficiary of Dawn’s strategy. She ended up with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, which led to South Carolina’s 62-48 win.
Read more:
“I Would Beat Geno’s A**”: Furious Dawn Staley’s Words After Altercation With Geno Auriemma Revealed
Teary-Eyed Dawn Staley Reacts After Heated Exchange With Geno Auriemma on the Sidelines
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
