LSU celebrates title with White House visit

Led by head coach Kim Mulkey, a woman well acquainted with bold patterns, the Tigers feasted on what some characterized as a cupcake schedule en route to a run through the NCAA Tournament that culminated in a 102-85 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, crowning LSU national champions on April 2. The Tigers’ multi-episode, narrative arc with the occupants of the White House began just prior to the title game, when First Lady Jill Biden, on-site in Dallas, requested a pre-game visit to the LSU locker room, which the team declined.

“Apparently she was supposed to come to our locker room before the game, but we said no,” Angel Reese told the I AM ATHLETE podcast. “We said we didn’t want her coming to the locker room. I think Joe Biden had put somebody else to win the national championship, he ain’t even put us in his bracket to get out of Baton Rouge.”

The day after LSU’s victory, Jill Biden further ignited the ire of the Tigers while speaking at an event in Denver, “So I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do. So, we hope LSU will come but, you know, I’m going to tell Joe [Biden] I think Iowa should come, too because they played such a good game.”

Reese replied via social media, “WE NOT COMING. period.”

Jill Biden’s press secretary later tweeted clarification on the first lady’s intent saying, “Her comments in Colorado were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House.”

The clarification did not immediately satisfy Reese. When asked about it during the aforementioned podcast interview, she said, “I don’t accept the apology because you said what you said … You can’t go back on certain things that you say. You felt like they should have come because of sportsmanship right? They can have that spotlight. We’ll go to the Obamas’ [house]. We’ll go see Michelle. We’ll see Barack.”

After a few days, Reese softened her position. In an April 7 interview with ESPN, five days after the championship game, she said, “In the beginning, we were hurt. It was emotional for us because we know how hard we worked all year for everything. Just being able to see that, that hurt us in the moment.”

After looking past that moment of hurt, Reese gained a broader perspective and acknowledged, “[Y]ou don’t get that experience [to visit the White House] ever. I know my team probably wants to go for sure, and my coaches are supportive of that, so I’m going to do what’s best for the team. And if they would like to go, we decide we’re going to go, then we’re going to go.”

Go they did.

Unsurprisingly, the much-discussed, back-and-forth drama between the team and Jill Biden went unmentioned. Instead, the first lady’s comments in conjunction with those made by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris centered on the historical impact made by the LSU women on their title run. The trio of speakers honored the team’s character and the positive example they set throughout the season.

Jill Biden opened the event by highlighting the statistical stars from the championship game and noting the record number of viewers who tuned in to watch on television as she watched in the arena. But she quickly moved beyond the numbers to describe how the game made her feel.

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Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.

“I thought about every little girl who will come after,” she said. “How you show them that they belong on the court. That they can be strong and tough. That they can fail and fall down. Take risks and run until their legs feel like they will give out, then run some more. That they can win. You didn’t just play basketball. You didn’t just make history. You showed us girls and boys, women and men what it means to be a champion. You gave us hope and joy, a way to find that fire in ourselves. And most of all, the chance to see you soar.”

She describes a particular type of role model. Not the shiny, perfect kind that is made into an action figure and packaged into a nice box on the toy aisle. But rather, one that makes mistakes but keeps going; that fails, but keeps working; that looks different than a traditional role model, but refuses to change.

Harris echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the impact of a role model, not just by showcasing abilities on the court, but by letting the human-side shine through as well. “You are inspiring people that you may never meet,” she said. “But through your excellence and your enthusiasm, you are lifting up whole communities of people around our country, and not only because of how you play, but because of who you each are.”

Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine

Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.

With his time to speak, Joe Biden spoke of the progress made in women’s sports since the passage of Title IX. “There are now about 10 times more female athletes in college and high school than there were,” he said. “Millions more women are getting sports scholarships and a chance not just to play but to earn degrees and build their lives. But there’s more progress to make in the media, 95% of sports stories are still about men.”

The imbalance in coverage limits the number of stories and players introduced to fans. Thus, Biden implored, “Folks, we need to support women’s sports not just during the championship run but the entire year and every season. Showing up in person, watching on television and creating more programming and scholarships and sponsorships and opportunities for millions of women and girls to realize their dreams and know that they can do literally anything at all.”

The resident lauded the Tigers for setting a new standard for engagement with women’s sports, specifically calling out how we saw, “Parents and children who watched every single one of your games together, sometimes driving 10 hours just to see you play. And then [we saw] you take the time to talk to them, to laugh with them, to show millions of our daughters they can do anything as well.”

Throughout the season, the Tigers never changed their stripes. It earned them a championship, moved the state of women’s sports forward and reminded the world that role models don’t need to fit neatly into a box.