Staley embraces UCLA's Close ahead of title game, then smirks to the crowd after handshake drama

PHOENIX (AP) — It seems there will be no pregame handshake drama at the women's national championship game.

Two days ago in a March Madness Final Four game, UConn's Geno Auriemma confronted South Carolina's Dawn Staley over what he viewed was a failure to properly follow pregame handshake protocol. The moment blew up on social media as two of the faces of women's college basketball got into a brief heated exchange in the closing seconds of the Gamecocks' win over the Huskies.

Before UCLA and South Carolina tipped off for Sunday's title game, Staley embraced and shook hands with UCLA coach Cori Close, and the two chatted briefly. Staley also shook hands with other Bruins assistants. She then turned to the crowd and lifted her hands — with a smirk on her face, as if making sure everyone in attendance documented the moment.

That was before pregame introductions, and neither coach walked to halfcourt to shake hands again after lineups were announced.

According to the NCAA’s policy in its operations manual for the tournament, after starting lineups are announced for both teams, the two coaches typically meet at midcourt and shake hands. Staley and Auriemma shook hands earlier in the pregame on Friday, but not after introductions.

That frustrated Auriemma, and he called out Staley after the game.

“For 41 years I’ve been coaching and, I don’t know, 25 Final Fours,” Auriemma said in his postgame press conference Friday. “The protocol is before the game you meet at halfcourt. Anybody see that before? Two coaches meet at halfcourt and they shake hands, correct? Ever see it? They announce it on the loudspeaker.

“I waited there for like three minutes. So it is what it is.”

He later issued an apology, but Staley said she was disappointed the drama gained so much traction during her team's quest for a third national title in five seasons.

“That’s a little disheartening," she said. "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.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness