It Looks Like Geno Auriemma Is Patting the Backside of Baylor Coach Kim Mulkey in this Picture [UPDATE]

Baylor beat UConn in Hartford Monday, 76-70. Britteny Griner scored her 3,000th career point as the #1 team in the nation won its 23rd consecutive game. For #3 UConn, it was the Huskies’ second loss of the season. After Before the game, Huskies coach Geno Auriemma congratulated greeted Baylor coach Kim Mulkey with what – from this angle – looks like a pat on the ass.

[UPDATE: Here’s Geno’s explanation of the ass-slap:

"“She was staring at my butt and she was commenting on it and I said, ‘Really? How about yours?’ and she went, `Yeah, look at it,’ and I went (slap), I’ll teach you a lesson,’’ Auriemma said, jokingly. `And then she started talking about how she only dated Italians her whole life and that she wanted me to set her up with some Italians and I said `The Italians I send to see you aren’t going to date you.’ We’ve had a long and great relationship since, gosh, she was an assistant at Louisiana Tech. It goes back a long ways. “She’s just a big pain in the butt. That’s all there is to it.’’]"

Would this picture be any less awkward if instead of Mulkey, Auriemma looked like he was grabbing the backside of Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell? If Mitchell was making that face, yes. [Image: AP Photo/Jessica Hill via  Connecticut Post; Ass-slap update via Mark]