Explainer: The Controversy Behind Women’s Basketball Championship Team’s White House Visit

First Lady Jill Biden leaves the Church of the Society of Jesus in Quito, Ecuador, on May 20, 2022. Erin Schaff/Pool via Reuters

When it comes to championship teams, the winner usually gets invited to the White House.

However, First Lady Jill Biden wanted to make an exception and invite the winner and loser of the April 2 NCAA women’s basketball championship, the Louisiana State University Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes, respectively. The Tigers beat the Hawkeyes 102-85.

“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 I think Iowa should come too, because they played such a good game,” said Jill Biden on April 3, referring to her husband, President Joe Biden.

LSU star Angel Reese, who came under fire for unsportsmanlike during post-game celebration for pointing at her ring finger as Iowa star Caitlin Clark walked past, blasted the First Lady’s comments.

“A JOKE,” she wrote in a Twitter post that included a link to an ESPN story about Jill Biden’s remarks.

Jill Biden’s press secretary, Vanessa Valdivia, clarified that it would be only the Tigers who would be welcomed at the White House.

“The First Lady loved watching the NCAA women’s basketball championship game alongside young student athletes and admires how far women have advanced in sports since the passing of Title IX,” posted Valdivia on Twitter.

“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,” she continued.

Reese took issue with Valdivia’s statement.

“If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House,” she said on the “Paper Route” podcast on April 4.

“And I Remember she made a comment about how both teams should be invited because of sportsmanship. And I’m like, ‘Are you saying that because of what I did?,’” she continued. “'Stuff like that it bothers me because you are a woman, at the end of the day, white, black, Mexican, it doesn’t matter. You’re supposed to be standing behind us before anything.”

Reese mentioned that her team declined a visit by Jill Biden to their locker room ahead of the game. They refused, said Reese, because Joe Biden predicted another team to win the championship. She said that her team would accept an invite from former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. Joe Biden served under Obama as vice president.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t accept her apology … I said what I said … You felt like they [Iowa] should’ve came because of sportsmanship, right? They can have that spotlight,” she said. “We‘ll go to the Obamas. We’ll see Michelle, we'll see Barack.”

LSU announced on April 6 that it accepted the White House’s invitation. In what was a reversal from her saying she would not go, Reese said she would accept the invite.

“In the beginning, we were hurt. It was emotional because we know how hard we worked all year for everything,” she said on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” on April 7.

“You don’t get that experience [to visit the White House] ever, and 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 we’ve decided we’re going to go,” she continued. “I’m a team player. I’m going to do what’s best for the team. I’m the captain.”

The White House said on April 7 that Joe Biden phoned Reese to congratulate her on LSU’s championship.

When the Tigers will visit the White House has yet to be determined.