Star player Angel Reese of LSU has announced that she and her team will visit the White House. On Friday, Angel Reese, a standout player for LSU, announced that she would travel with the Tigers to the White House to celebrate their national championship, days after suggesting that the Tigers should instead celebrate with former President Barack and former first lady Michelle Obama.
After stating that she was not likely to accept an apology from Jill Biden, who had previously suggested inviting both LSU and runner-up Iowa to the White House, Reese made the request. But, President Biden ultimately decided to ask only LSU and the men’s national champions, Connecticut.
LSU officially accepted President Biden’s invitation to the White House on Thursday. The visit is currently unscheduled.
On Friday, Reese said that she and her squad would be there.
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On Friday’s “SportsCenter,” Reese admitted, “In the beginning, we were wounded — it was emotional because we know how hard we fought all year for everything.”
He said, “I’m going to do what’s best for the team, and we’ve decided to go to the White House because you never have that opportunity, and I know my team probably wants to go for sure, and my coaches are supportive of that.
I’m good at working with others. I’m going to prioritize the group’s success. I’m the leader here.
Kim Mulkey, coach of the LSU team, declared after their victory that she would visit the White House if invited.
Jill Biden’s spokeswoman, Vanessa Valdivia, has stated that the first lady did not mean any harm to LSU and that her statements were meant to celebrate the historic game and all women athletes. LSU’s 102-85 victory over Iowa marked the highest single-team point total in championship game history. The aggregate sum of 187 was an all-time high. During an NCAA women’s championship game, 9.9 million viewers was a new high.
Jill Biden had previously complimented both teams and lauded Iowa’s sportsmanship during a speech in Denver on Monday. Although it is customary for champions to visit the White House, she suggested that Iowa should also do it “since they played such a good game.”
Reese referred to Jill Biden’s proposal on Monday as a “joke.”
Some online users pointed out the racial factors at play, arguing that only the victorious teams should be honored with a trip to the White House and that inviting both groups would take away from the accomplishment of LSU’s mostly Black team. The majority of Iowa’s squad is Caucasian. Several other speakers emphasized the significance of Black women Democrats.
Vice President Biden served under Obama for eight years. In the meantime, Obama was busy campaigning for Biden in 2020.
Near the end of the game, Reese was criticized on social media for making a mocking gesture with her hand in front of her face while looking down Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. During Iowa’s Final Eight victory against Louisville, Clark, the AP Player of the Year, made a similar gesture to nobody.
Reese speculated that Jill Biden might not have been as effusive in her admiration of the Hawkeyes had LSU fallen to Iowa.
She said, “If we lose, we will not be welcomed to the White House.” She mentioned that both teams should be invited for sportsmanship, and I’ll never forget that. Are you saying that because of something I did? Things like that annoy me because you are a woman. You’re a woman; whether white or black makes no difference; you’re expected to support us first and foremost.
Reese sat in the back of an orange Corvette convertible and waved to screaming supporters as she waved her hand in front of her face during LSU’s championship parade through campus on Wednesday night.
Reese’s charisma has made her a fan favorite on and off the court. Canada Sports Betting claims that in the two days following LSU’s national title victory, Reese’s Instagram following grew by half a million, putting her total above 1 million.
