The UConn women's basketball program came into the2026 Final Fouras a sizable favorite to take home its second national championship in as many years.
Instead, the Huskies left Phoenix empty-handed after the national semifinals.
Burdened by an uncharacteristically cold shooting night in which it made just 19 of its 61 field goal attempts (31%), including a 4-of-16 showing from national player of the year Sarah Strong, coachGeno Auriemma's team saw its perfect season come to an end in a 62-48 loss to fellow No. 1 seedSouth Carolinain the national semifinals on Friday, April 3.
The Final Four matchup between South Carolina and UConn was played with intensity throughout, with emotions building as the game reached its closing stretch.That tension surfaced late as the outcome was decided, leading to visible reactions and an exchange between two of women's basketball's most prominent coaches.
Above, UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley react during the second half of the 2026 Women's Final Four semifinal at Mortgage Matchup Center." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks and head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Huskies exchange words during the fourth quarter in the Final Four of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 03, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma bring intensity to SC‑UConn. See photos
The Final Four matchup between South Carolina and UConn was played with intensity throughout, withemotions building as the game reached its closing stretch.That tension surfaced late as the outcome was decided, leading to visible reactions and an exchange between two of women's basketball's most prominent coaches.Above, UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley react during the second half of the 2026 Women's Final Four semifinal at Mortgage Matchup Center.
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The loss snapped a 54-game win streak for the Huskies, which is tied for the fourth-longest run in Division I women's basketball history. UConn had won its first 38 games this season by an average of 37.8 points, with only one of those victories decided by fewer than 13 points.
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The victory came with a measure of revenge for coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks, who lost to UConn 82-59 in the national championship game last season.
Despite the comfortable margin of victory for South Carolina, there were some fireworks after the game when Auriemma and Staley got into a heated exchange while shaking hands at the end of regulation. The interaction happened with a few tenths of a second remaining. Once the horn officially sounded and the game came to an end, Auriemma was already walking back to his team's locker room.
Auriemma had complained about the officiating during an interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe earlier in the game, which included a shot at Staley, who he said "rants and raves on the sideline" and "calls the referees "some names you don't want to hear."
Here's a sampling of what people were saying on social media about the war or words between the two Philadelphia natives:
Social media reacts to Geno Auriemma-Dawn Staley altercation
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Social media reacts to Geno Auriemma-Dawn Staley altercation after UConn-South Carolina