Even though the screaming match between legendary women's basketball head coaches Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma dominated headlines, it was something Staley said postgame that caught the attention of Iowa fans.
Staley and her South Carolina Gamecocks easily took care of Auriemma and UConn 62-48 during a Final Four matchup, and Auriemma absolutely lost his mind on her and the officials.
Regardless of Auriemma's meltdown, the Gamecocks advance to the National Championship game, their fourth in the past five seasons, and the one they missed still eats at Staley to this day.
The 2023 Final Four loss still "haunts" Dawn Staley
The Gamecocks were coming off a national championship in 2022, where they finished with a 35-2 overall record and defeated UConn in the title game.
The 2022-2023 season was poised to finish the same, but this time the Gamecocks were undefeated and were a top pick to win it all.
Then, Caitlin Clark happened.
All news is local. When asked about the significance of making four of the last five national championship games, Dawn Staley says South Carolina’s 2023 loss to Iowa still “haunts” her. pic.twitter.com/U0a5YGSs4e
— Jack Lido (@JackLido) April 4, 2026
After recently defeating UConn to advance to the national championship for the fourth time in five seasons. Staley was asked about the significance of making four of the last five title games, and her response brought a smile to Iowa fans' faces.
She said she is "still haunted by" the 2023 Final Four loss to Caitlin Clark and Iowa, and she never wants what happened then to happen again.
Clark dropped an eye-popping 41 points and added eight assists in Iowa's upset win over South Carolina, and Staley is still feeling the impact of that game.
With Staley at the helm, South Carolina has become a dynasty, winning national championships in 2017, 2022, and 2024, but vividly remembering and bringing up the 2023 Final Four loss shows just how much Staley respects Clark and why she'll never forget that game.