Who ripped UConn star Sarah Strong's jersey in Women's Final Four loss vs South Carolina?

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UConn women’s basketball star forward Sarah Strong did not finish her team’s Final Four game against South Carolina in the same jersey she started it in.

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After missing a shot at the buzzer to end the third quarter, Strong ripped her No. 21 jersey. She changed into No. 55 for the rest of the No. 1 overall seed Huskies’ 62-48 loss to the No. 1 seed Gamecocks at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 3.

With the win over UConn (38-1), South Carolina (36-3) has advanced to the title game where it will face No. 1 seed UCLA on April 5 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

“It was an accident,” Strong said. “I missed my shot. Ripped it by accident.”

UConn coach Geno Auriemma suggested that a South Carolina player ripped Strong’s jersey. It’s not clear if the jersey was already partially torn before Strong pulled it apart.

“I've been coaching a long time. I've never had a kid have to change their jersey because somebody ripped it and the official said, ‘I didn't see it,’” he said.

Auriemma took issue with the officiating throughout the game, particularly in the third quarter. The Huskies were whistled for six fouls in the period, meanwhile, South Carolina wasn’t called for any, causing him to express his frustration over the disparity in an on-camera interview with ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe.

UConn finished the game with 17 team fouls while South Carolina had eight. The Gamecocks shot 22 free throws to the Huskies’ six.

“I'm just saying there was not a single foul called on them in the third quarter,” Auriemma said. “I have a kid that's one of the best players in the country and has got the ball a lot and is trying to get something done, and you mean to tell me there was never a time when she got fouled? Find that hard to believe.”

In his interview with Rowe, Auriemma also claimed South Carolina coach Dawn Staley had spoken to officials in an inappropriate manner. He said he had no regrets on what he said in the interview and doubled down on those comments postgame.

“I just want to make sure there's not a double standard,” he said. “I'm of the opinion that if I ever talk to an official like that, I would get tossed. So, I just want to make sure there's not a double standard, that some people are allowed to talk to officials like that and other people are not. That's it.”

Despite saying he was frustrated with the situation, he made it clear he was not advocating, retroactively, for Staley to have been ejected from the game.

“It's not my place to judge whether any coach should ever get tossed,” he said. “I'm not suggesting that that should have happened tonight at all. Not at all.”

Tensions rose further just before the final buzzer when Auriemma started an argument with Staley on the sideline because he said she had not shaken his hand pregame.

Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @tiareid65.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: What Geno Auriemma said about Sarah Strong jersey rip in Final Four

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