“Senior citizen”: Geno Auriemma pokes fun at Dawn Staley for not having any “sympathy” for him

UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley are set to face off in a battle of minds in the Championship game of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

Ahead of the game, during a press conference, Auriemma spoke about going up against Staley in the blockbuster contest for the National Championship on Sunday. He hilariously stated that he doesn't think the SC coach would be lenient on him because of his seniority in years.

"The fact that we have Philadelphia connections, University of Virginia connections and all that USA basketball stuff that we've done together, it's a nice story...but, I don't think Dawn's gonna give me any kudos for or any breaks for [being a] senior citizen that I am. I don't think she's gonna have any sympathy for me come Sunday," the Huskies HC told reporters.

Coach Auriemma led the No. 2 seeded UConn Huskies (36-3) to a victory over the No. 1 seed UCLA Bruins (34-3) in the Final Four, defeating them 85-51 on Saturday. The Huskies stole the show in the first half with a 42-22 lead and continued their dominance with a 43-29 victory in the second half.

Coach Staley, on the other hand, led the No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks (35-3) as they defeated the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns (34-4) 74-57 on Saturday. The Gamecocks claimed the first half 38-35 and extended their points in the second half (36-22).

NCAA Womens Basketball: Final Four National Semifinal-Connecticut at UCLA - Source: Imagn

The Final game between the two veteran coaches is set to be a true clash of brilliant minds. And as Auriemma admitted, nobody is looking to take any prisoners at the moment.

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Coach Geno Auriemma says both teams deserve to win the NCAA Tournament

Geno Auriemma has made it clear in his press conference that both teams deserve to be in the Championship game and also deserve to win it.

“When you think about the Final Fours they’ve been to, the consistency in their program, the ability to win national championships multiple times... these are all things that are incredibly difficult to sustain," Auriemma said.

"We’ve certainly played each other a number of times in big, big games... so it does feel like the two most prominent programs right now in women’s college basketball. We both deserve it. They have every right to win Sunday, we have every right to win Sunday."

The UConn coach will be looking to lead his team to their 12th NCAA Tournament title when they face Staley's South Carolina on Sunday at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.