Staley urges moving past fiery exchange with auriemma

South Carolina's Dawn Staley is calling for a fresh start after her intense post-game confrontation with UConn's Geno Auriemma following their Final Four matchup.

Staley and auriemma speak, agree to move past incident.

Staley released a statement on Tuesday through the Gamecocks' social media channels, expressing her respect for Auriemma and confirming that the two had spoken since Friday night's semifinal game, which saw South Carolina emerge victorious 62-48.

In her statement, Staley acknowledged the tumultuous finish to the contest, which included a heated exchange between the coaches and the need for teammates to intervene. However, she emphasized the importance of putting the moment behind them in order to continue the progress women's basketball has made.