South Carolina Defeats UConn 62-48 to Advance to NCAA Championship Game

"...Beneath all that ego and pride, rage and obstinance, Geno Auriemma must know that...."

"...He set the terms. He renovated the throne. He stitched 'One Size Fits Geno' on the crown...."

"...Suddenly, there was more than one center of power...."

"...The barking and cursing, the undeniable disdain — it wasn't as impulsive as it seemed...."

"...This is the sport's best rivalry, the fiercest since Connecticut-Tennessee spawned the coldest war between Auriemma and Pat Summitt...."

"...Staley turned and walked away, hot as July asphalt...."

"...This wasn't a random sideline disagreement. This was inevitable...."

"...Auriemma is addicted to success. So is Staley. Neither is backing down...."

"...That escalation just happened to coincide with a year in which the Gamecocks were striving to complete an undefeated season...."

"...No, he projected a whole evening of frustration onto that one gripe...."

"...South Carolina dictated the game, and he couldn't do anything about it...."

"...The physicality bothered him. The way Staley worked the officials bothered him...."

"...The hallmarks of Connecticut basketball – tempo, space, pace, precision – eluded the Huskies as they were forced into uncomfortable possessions...."

"...It all added up. It wasn't a handshake dispute. It was an expression of agitation, a complete meltdown from the winningest coach in the history of the sport...."

"...It was the symptom of a man losing control of a game he has owned...."

"...Staley stayed in the moment. Auriemma stayed in his feelings...."

"...He was so emotional he couldn't even see himself...."

"...Yet Staley somehow wasn't worthy of civility as the game ended...."

"...Or because Staley is becoming his equal?..."

"...Auriemma has always needed a rival. Summitt. Muffet McGraw for a while...."

"...She isn't chasing Auriemma. She is neither measuring herself against him nor revolving around his sun...."

"...She can go around him. She can go through him...."

"...On this night, that made Auriemma uncomfortable. He was childish and small...."

"...The confrontation wasn't the story. It was the signal...."

"...Staley isn't just competing with Auriemma anymore. She is capable of standing beside him...."

"...And sometimes, she stands over him...."