March Madness wrapped up with Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies claiming their 12th championship together. Winning has become second nature for Auriemma, and even in his 40th season, he showed no signs of slowing down. The victory made him the oldest head coach to win a championship, taking down Dawn Staley and her Gamecocks. The rivalry between South Carolina and UConn has been heating up over the years, and Auriemma definitely added some fuel to the fire with his recent comments!

After UConn’s dominant 82-59 victory over South Carolina, which saw Paige Bueckers wrap up her college career in the perfect storybook ending– Geno Auriemma took a different approach in his post-game comments. He took a shot at the Gamecocks’ management, which didn’t sit well with fans! “Most other places, if you win one national championship, they build a statue to you outside the building. Here, they won’t even let you get to the front of the bus.” he said, sparking a major controversy at the time. Now, that controversy is heating up again. According to Lulu Kesin of the Greenville News, Dawn Staley is about to receive a statue of her own!

On April 28, 2025, the city of Columbia announced that Staley’s statue will be unveiled on April 30 at the University of South Carolina’s Pastides Alumni Center, celebrating her three NCAA titles and her role in making Columbia a women’s basketball powerhouse. The news reignited the rivalry, as fans saw it as a perfect response to Auriemma’s statue remarks.

When we talk about head coaches that changed the trajectory of a program, Dawn Staley’s name will always be part of that list. Joined in 2008, the 54-year-old has completely transformed the South Carolina program. With 3 championships and 7 Final Four appearances later, it is fair to say that if someone deserved a statue, it was her. But that might not exactly please the UConn head coach.

Fans quickly took to social media to talk about the news, with many taking jabs at Auriemma for his past comments. Let’s take a look at some of those fan reactions!

Fans react to the news of Dawn Staley getting a statue

Fans were quick to revisit those comments Geno made about statues earlier this month. “Maybe this was why Geno was complaining about statues the other day. Congrats to Dawn Michelle Staley (My GOAT),” commented one fan. Another joined in, saying, “Geno ’bout to crash out, omg.”

These reactions show how South Carolina fans felt Auriemma’s words disrespected their program’s tradition of honoring legends like Wilson and now Staley. They celebrated Staley’s statue as a triumphant clapback, with many pointing out that Columbia was right to immortalize her for turning their city into a basketball mecca. Some fans even mocked Auriemma, suggesting he was jealous because UConn doesn’t have statues for its stars, only banners in Gampel Pavilion.

Those comments from Auriemma about statues were a direct jab at A’ja Wilson, who has a statue outside the Colonial Life Arena. Wilson has more than earned that statue. She capped off her four-year career (2015-18) by becoming South Carolina’s first National Player of the Year. Wilson was the first four-time All-American in Gamecock history, earning first-team honors in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and was the first-ever four-time First-Team All-SEC selection. She also became the first three-time SEC Player of the Year in league history. But her impact wasn’t just limited to the college scene. “Yeah A’ja has done more than win a natty. Knock it off” one fan said.

In the WNBA, A’ja didn’t miss a beat either. She captured Rookie of the Year and All-Star honors in her first season– followed by WNBA MVP honors in 2020. She also led her team to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. With a career like that, if a woman athlete like Wilson doesn’t deserve a statue, who does? Fans were right to be furious. But today was all about celebrating Dawn Staley’s incredible impact on the city of Columbia!

“Tbh, it needs to be renamed ‘Dawn Staley Court at Colonial Life Arena,’ “ said one fan, while another joined in congratulating Staley, saying, “Congratulations coach @dawnstaley !!! WELL DESERVED ❤️” For everything Dawn Staley has done for South Carolina, she absolutely deserves the home stadium to be named after her. Bringing the first championship to the program and turning them into a top destination for elite talent won’t be overlooked. Staley truly deserves all the recognition she’s getting right now. UConn does have monuments honoring their greats across campus, but no statues–maybe that’s what Auriemma was talking about. Either way, the rivalry between South Carolina and the Huskies has just gotten even more intense. The game between these two next season will definitely draw some eyeballs!