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LSU Women's Basketball Team Visits the White House to Celebrate Their NCAA Championship

The visit came after public back-and-forth about whether the team would accept the Bidens' invite

SAMUEL CORUM/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 

After weeks of public back-and-forth, the LSU women's basketball team visited the White House today to celebrate their recent NCAA championship win.

The team arrived at the White House in the afternoon for a special ceremony with President Joe Biden , first lady Dr. Jill Biden , Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, where the president praised the team and pushed for more of a focus on women's sports.

“Folks, we need to support women’s sports not just during championship runs but the entire year, and every season,” President Biden said.

He also joked that head coach Kim Mulkey, who earned her third NCAA championship with the win in April, was becoming a frequent White House visitor.

Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

"Isn't this getting old to you?" President Biden teased.

The ceremony, though, was briefly halted when LSU's Sa'Myah Smith fainted as the team gathered on stage. She was quickly attended to by medical personnel, and Mulkey said that Smith was "fine" and mostly just "embarrassed."

The visit came after star player Angel Reese , 20, said in April that her winning team would not accept the Bidens' invite to the White House. (She later changed her tune.)

Reese initially declined the invite because she was upset that Dr. Biden suggested that both women's teams from the NCAA Tournament final -- the Louisiana State University Tigers and Iowa Hawkeyes in Dallas -- should come to D.C.

"So I know we'll have the champions come to the White House, we always do," Jill, 71, said at the time, per CNN . "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," she added.

Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI/Shutterstock

"In the beginning, we were hurt — it was emotional because we know how hard we worked all year for everything," Reese said in an appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter , about why she first snubbed Biden's invite.

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"You don't get that experience [to go to 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 added. "I'm a team player. I'm going to do what's best for the team. I'm the captain."

Traditionally, only the national champions receive an invitation to the White House. If Iowa had also received an official invitation, it would have been the first time both title game teams were offered the opportunity.

After hearing about Biden's dual invitation, Reese retweeted a story about it and called it "A JOKE," with three laughing emojis.

"It bothers me because you're a woman at the end of the day, and you're supposed to be standing behind us before anything," Reese said of the incident on the  I Am Athlete  podcast . "So, it's hard to see things like that and not comment back on it."

The suggestion to invite both teams may have had good intentions, but the idea came just one day after Reese became the subject of harsh, racially-tinged online criticism.

Reese dealt with attacks on Twitter after the broadcast showed her taunting Iowa's Caitlin Clark with the "you can't see me" hand gesture made popular by wrestler John Cena, which Clark had done herself earlier in the tournament.

During her postgame press conference, the NCAA champion said, "All year I was critiqued about who I was. I don't fit the narrative. I don't fit in the box that you all want me to be in. I'm too hood, I'm too ghetto. You told me that all year. But when other people do it, y'all don't say nothing."

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After outcry, Jill Biden's office says White House invitation is for LSU women's team

Jonathan Franklin

First Lady Jill Biden takes a her seat before the start of the NCAA Women's Final Four championship basketball game between LSU and Iowa Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Dallas. Tony Gutierrez/AP hide caption

First Lady Jill Biden takes a her seat before the start of the NCAA Women's Final Four championship basketball game between LSU and Iowa Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Dallas.

It's customary for the winner of the NCAA women's basketball championship to receive an invitation to visit the White House. But earlier this week, first lady Jill Biden was all in to host both Louisiana State University and the University of Iowa following Sunday's game — even though LSU won.

Now, the first lady has walked back her apparent dual invitation, following lots of negative reactions across social media and television. A particularly strong objection came from LSU star player Angel Reese, who called the dual invite "A JOKE" in a tweet .

During an event on Monday at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver, Biden congratulated both teams — praising them on their performance and highlighting Iowa's sportsmanship.

LSU beats Iowa to win 1st NCAA title, posting record triple-digit point game

"I know we'll have the champions come to the White House; we always do. So, we hope LSU will come," the First lady said. "But, you know, I'm going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come too, because they played such a good game."

But Vanessa Valdivia, press secretary for the first lady, later clarified Biden's comments on Tuesday morning, tweeting that the comments "were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes." (The Office of the First Lady of the United States did not immediately respond to NPR's separate request for comment about her remarks.)

"[The first lady] looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House," Valdivia added.

President Joe Biden tweeted Tuesday that he's also looking forward to welcoming the LSU women's basketball team to the White House — with no mention of Iowa.

News of the first lady's comments on the dual White House invitation came on the heels of a viral moment between Reese and Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark.

How a hand gesture dominated a NCAA title game and revealed a double standard

During Sunday's tournament game, Reese —who transferred from the University of Maryland last fall — celebrated the Tigers' lead against the Hawkeyes by making a hand gesture popularized by wrestler John Cena , titled "You Can't See Me."

The moment instantly went viral, as sports commentators and fans criticized Reese for what they perceived as an "unsportsmanlike" move toward Clark.

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WATCH: Bidens host NCAA basketball champions LSU and UConn at the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — All of the past drama and sore feelings associated with Louisiana State’s invitation to the White House was seemingly forgotten or set aside Friday as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the championship women’s basketball team to the mansion with smiles, hugs and lavish praise all around.

Watch the events here.

The visit had once appeared in jeopardy after Jill Biden suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. But none of that was mentioned as Biden heralded the players for their performance and the way they have helped advance women’s sports.

“Folks, we witnessed history,” Biden, said. “In this team, we saw hope, we saw pride and we saw purpose. It matters.”

The ceremony was halted for about 10 minutes after forward Sa’Myah Smith appeared to collapse as she and her teammates stood behind Biden. A wheelchair was brought in and coach Kim Mulkey assured the audience that Smith was fine.

LSU said in a statement that Smith felt overheated, nauseous and thought she might faint. She was evaluated by LSU and White House medical staff and was later able to rejoin the team. “She is feeling well, in good spirits, and will undergo further evaluation once back in Baton Rouge,” the LSU statement said.

Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, Biden said, more than half of all college students are women, and there are now 10 times more female athletes in college and high school. He said most sports stories are still about men, and that that needs to change.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs and activities.

“Folks, we need to support women sports, not just during the championship run but during the entire year,” Biden said.

After the Tigers beat Iowa for the NCAA title in April in a game the first lady attended, she caused an uproar by suggesting that the Hawkeyes also come to the White House.

LSU star Angel Reese called the idea “ A JOKE ” and said she would prefer to visit with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, instead. The LSU team largely is Black, while Iowa’s top player, Caitlin Clark, is white, as are most of her teammates.

Nothing came of Jill Biden’s idea and the White House only invited the Tigers. Reese ultimately said she would not skip the White House visit. She and co-captain Emily Ward presented team jerseys bearing the number “46” to Biden and the first lady. Hugs were exchanged.

Jill Biden also lavished praise on the team, saying the players showed “what it means to be a champion.”

“In this room, I see the absolute best of the best,” she said, adding that watching them play was “pure magic.”

READ MORE: 8 things to know about this year’s record-breaking Women’s NCAA Tournament

“Every basket was pure joy and I kept thinking about how far women’s sports have come,” the first lady added, noting that she grew up before Title IX was passed. “We’ve made so much progress and we still have so much more work to do.”

The president added that “the way in which women’s sports has come along is just incredible. It’s really neat to see, since I’ve got four granddaughters.”

After Smith was helped to a wheelchair, Mulkey told the audience the player was OK.

“As you can see, we leave our mark where we go,” Mulkey joked. “Sa’Myah is fine. She’s kind of, right now, embarrassed.”

A few members of Congress and Biden aides past and present with Louisiana roots dropped what they were doing to attend the East Room event, including White House budget director Shalanda Young. Young is in the thick of negotiations with House Republicans to reach a deal by the middle of next week to stave off what would be a globally calamitous U.S. financial default if the U.S. can no longer borrow the money it needs to pay its bills.

Biden, who wore a necktie in the shade of LSU’s purple, said Young, who grew up in Baton Rouge, told him, “I’m leaving the talks to be here.” Rep. Garret Graves, one of the House GOP negotiators, also attended.

Biden closed sports Friday by changing to a blue tie and welcoming the UConn’s men’s championship team for its own celebration. The Huskies won their fifth national title by defeating San Diego State, 76-59, in April.

“Congratulations to the whole UConn nation,” Biden said.

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LSU women’s basketball will accept White House visit invitation following national title: Report

The national champion LSU women’s basketball team will accept an invitation to visit the White House, university spokesperson Michael Bonnette told the Associated Press . Here’s what you need to know:

• Previously, star forward Angel Reese aired her frustrations with first lady Jill Biden suggesting runner-up Iowa could also visit the White House. Reese said on a Thursday podcast that her team should “go to the Obamas” instead.
• On Friday, Reese said she would join the rest of her teammates in visiting the White House if they decide to go. “It was tough just seeing (Biden’s comments) in the beginning, but I think we’ll all come together and I think it’ll be good,” she said on “SportsCenter.”
• Following LSU’s victory, coach Kim Mulkey said she would go to the White House if the team was invited.
• On Tuesday, Biden’s press secretary Vanessa Valdivia  addressed the first lady’s comments , saying they “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.”

What Reese said Friday

The team was “hurt” initially after seeing Biden’s comments, Reese said on “SportsCenter.”

“It was emotional for us because we know how hard we worked all year for everything and just being able to see that hurt us in the moment,” she said.

On the White House visit, the LSU star said she’ll do what’s best for the team — and that she knows the team “probably wants to go for sure.” Reese’s cousin, Jordan Hawkins, won the men’s tournament with UConn , and she said she hopes she can see him there.

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“I’m a team player,” she said. “I’m going to do what’s best for the team and I’m a captain, and I know the team will love it.”

Biden’s initial comments came Monday while speaking in Denver. She praised Iowa ’s sportsmanship and congratulated both teams on their performances.

“I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House; we always do. So, we hope LSU will come,” she said. “But, you know, I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come too, because they played such a good game.”

Reese called the comment “a joke” in a tweet.

🤣🤣🤣A JOKE. https://t.co/9SiOKQNqbj — Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 3, 2023

“If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House,” Reese said Thursday. “I remember she made a comment about both teams should be invited because of sportsmanship. And I’m like, ‘Are you saying that because of what I did?’ Stuff like that, it bothers me because you are a woman at the end of the day. White, Black, it doesn’t matter, you’re a woman, you’re supposed to be standing behind us before anything.”

President Joe Biden tweeted Tuesday that he’s looking forward to hosting LSU and men’s tournament winner UConn at the White House, with no mention of Iowa.

Mulkey has taken championship-winning teams to the White House with three different presidents — George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Required reading

• LSU’s Angel Reese airs frustrations with Jill Biden’s White House comments: ‘We’ll go to the Obamas’
• Caitlin Clark: Angel Reese should not be criticized for gestures at title game
• LSU’s Angel Reese calls Jill Biden’s comment about White House invite for Iowa ‘a joke’

(Photo: C. Morgan Engel / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

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Angel Reese, Jill Biden embrace as LSU women, U-Conn. men visit White House

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the LSU women’s basketball team to the White House on Friday in an event that honored the national champions nearly two months after the first lady’s suggestion that the runner-up also visit set off a wave of criticism and a “Saturday Night Live” sketch .

LSU star Angel Reese, whose reaction to Jill Biden’s comments fueled the story’s run through the news cycle, shared a hug with the first lady and presented her with a jersey at the ceremony, during which the controversy was not addressed.

“You didn’t just play basketball. You didn’t just make history,” Jill Biden said during her opening remarks. “You showed us — girls and boys, women and men — what it means to be a champion.”

The president and first lady spoke about the team’s accomplishments on the court and the example its players set off the floor. Both highlighted Reese, the Final Four’s most outstanding player, as well as Coach Kim Mulkey and several other Tigers players who played a key role in defeating Iowa, 102-85 , in the national championship game April 2 for LSU’s first NCAA title.

President Biden joked that he was organizing a one-on-one game between Reese and her cousin Jordan Hawkins, a star of the Connecticut team that won the men’s championship and was honored in a separate White House ceremony later Friday. “I’m putting my money on you, kid,” Biden said to Reese.

Midway through the ceremony, an LSU player standing among her teammates behind the president collapsed onstage. Biden paused his remarks for several minutes while the player, identified later by Mulkey as freshman forward Sa’Myah Smith, received prompt attention. Biden told the crowd, “everything’s okay,” and Mulkey later said Smith was “fine.” Smith was taken out of the East Room in a wheelchair, according to the White House pool report.

After the event resumed, LSU co-captains Emily Ward and Reese presented the president and first lady with No. 46 LSU jerseys. They shared hugs and posed for photos.

Early last month, there appeared to be some uncertainty as to whether such a moment would materialize. After LSU defeated Iowa, the first lady, who attended the game in Dallas, said she would like Iowa to come to Washington for the traditional White House visit alongside the Tigers.

“I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House; we always do, so we hope LSU will come,” Biden said during remarks at the Colorado Capitol in Denver the morning after the game. “But, you know, I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.”

Reese quickly criticized the comment. She called the idea “A JOKE” on Twitter , and Vanessa Valdivia, the first lady’s press secretary and a special assistant to President Biden, tweeted a clarification a day after Jill Biden’s remarks.

“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,” Valdivia’s tweet read. “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.”

In the ensuing days, Reese said in interviews she felt hurt by the comment and would rather meet a different president and first lady. “We’ll go to the Obamas. We’ll see Michelle. We’ll see Barack,” she told the podcast “Paper Route.”

President Biden, who made congratulatory phone calls to the coaches of the men’s and women’s champions, also dialed Reese, who ultimately said she would accept a White House invitation. On Friday, the president joked that the team, which has reloaded this offseason , would be back in the East Room next year.

“I’m going to turn this over to you,” President Biden said as he prepared to introduce Mulkey to deliver brief remarks. “Again, I want to congratulate you. I assume I’ll be seeing you next year and [the] next year.”

About two hours later, President Biden welcomed the Connecticut men’s team in a less eventful affair. He recounted the Huskies’ run from dark horse to national champion and received a team jersey from captains Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson Jr. Biden also reiterated his request for a Reese-Hawkins match on the South Lawn.

“I hosted the LSU women’s team earlier today for their championship title. Jordan, I heard you and your cousin Angel played one-on-one growing up,” Biden said. “... So I’ve set up a basketball court on the South Lawn. There’s a court down there by the tennis courts. And Jordan, your uncle thinks he can take you as well, so I just want you to know that after this we’re all going down to see that one-on-one game.”

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LSU to visit White House to celebrate national championship after all

Lsu beat iowa to win its first ever national championship last week.

The LSU women’s basketball team will head to the White House to celebrate their national championship after all.

LSU confirmed Thursday that the team will accept an invitation from President Joe Biden to celebrate their championship in Washington, D.C., according to The Associated Press . There is no date for the Tigers’ visit yet, and it’s unclear who will attend.

The customary trip was in question almost immediately after LSU beat Iowa 102-85 in the national title game in Dallas last week. First Lady Jill Biden, who attended the game, said the following day that she wanted to tell her husband to invite both the Tigers and the Hawkeyes to the White House.

“I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do,” she said. “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.”

That didn’t sit well with a lot of people. Biden’s press secretary walked those comments back the next day, and both Iowa star Caitlin Clark and Iowa coach Lisa Bluder declined that idea.

LSU star Angel Reese was very vocal about her displeasure with it too. She called it “A JOKE” on Twitter, and then suggested that they wouldn’t go to the White House, but would rather visit former first lady Michelle Obama instead. Despite being "hurt" by Biden's comments, Reese said on Friday morning that she would attend the visit to the White House with her team.

Reese was also the subject of criticism for a taunt she directed at Clark in the moments after the game — though Reese, Clark and others have shut that down . Clark, who is white, has used that same taunt plenty of times herself.

"All year, I was critiqued about who I was," Reese said . "The narrative — I don’t fit the narrative. I don't fit into the box that y’all want me to be in. 'I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto.' Y’all told me that all year.

"But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing. So this is for the girls that look like me, that’s gonna speak on for what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you. And that’s what I did it for tonight."

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LSU Plans to Visit White House Despite Angel Reese’s Alternative Suggestion

• Author: Madison Williams

In this story:

The  LSU  women’s basketball team will plan to visit the White House after winning the 2023 national championship, school spokesperson Michael Bonnette confirmed to the Associated Press on Thursday .

The announcement comes after a tumultuous week between the Tigers and the White House, which began after  LSU beat Iowa 102–85 on Sunday . Following the game, First Lady Jill Biden seemed to extend an invite to both teams, even though it is tradition for only the championship-winning team to visit. 

The White House later clarified that only the Tigers were invited. Additionally, President Joe Biden tweeted that only the two champions, LSU  and men’s title-winner UConn, would be welcome at the White House for a visit. 

LSU star Angel Reese made clear throughout the back-and-forth that she did not appreciate the First Lady’s comment, first calling it “a joke” before later saying she didn’t “accept her apology.” Reese even noted on her appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast that she’d rather visit the Obamas instead.

“I just know if the roles were reversed, that it wouldn’t be the same. If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House,” Reese said. “And I remember, she made a comment about both teams should be invited because it was [about] sportsmanship. I was like, ‘Are you saying that because of what I did?’ Stuff like that, it bothers me.”

Despite Reese’s comments, it looks like LSU will be visiting the White House after all. The date for the exact visit is unknown at this time.

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LSU visits White House to celebrate national championship win

WASHINGTON (WAFB) - The LSU women’s basketball team traveled to Washington D.C. to celebrate its national championship title.

A special ceremony was held for the team at the White House on Friday, May 26.

LSU released the following statement about what happened with forward Sa’Myah Smith:

“During LSU’s ceremony at the White House, Sa’Myah Smith started feeling overheated, nauseous, and like she might faint before being helped down. Smith was conscious and communicating with the LSU and White House medical staff while being evaluated. Everything checked out well and she was able to return to the team. She is feeling well, in good spirits, and will undergo further evaluation once back in Baton Rouge.”

The Tigers left Baton Rouge on Thursday, May 25, for Washington D.C. to celebrate its historic win at the US Capitol.

When the team arrived, the ladies headed to the US Capitol where the Louisiana Congressional Delegation welcomed the players with a lunch and tour.

LSU will leave Thursday for Washington D.C. in celebration of the national championship! The Tigers will visit the Louisiana Congressional Delegation on Thursday at the U.S. Capitol and Friday's ceremony at the White House will take place at 1 p.m. CT. 📄… pic.twitter.com/7ede1XQ6Jr — LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) May 24, 2023

In her second season at LSU, Coach Kim Mulkey led the Tigers to their first national championship. With three championships while she was at Baylor, Coach Mulkey is the only coach to win national championships at multiple schools. She is just the second coach (Carolyn Peck, 1999 at Purdue) to win a national title in her second season at an institution.

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Date set for lsu women’s basketball visit to white house, lsu women’s basketball team celebrates historic win at raising cane’s, lsu women’s championship season brings new fans to the game, parade, celebration honors lsu women’s basketball national championship, hot-shooting tigers defeat iowa, as lsu captures first national championship, lsu fans welcome home the champs.

LSU had a historic run to the 2023 NCAA Championship. The Tigers scored a championship game record 102 points in the win over Iowa in front of a women’s college basketball record TV viewership of 9.9 million viewers.

Women’s basketball will become the fourth LSU sport to visit the White House in celebration of a national championship, joining baseball, football, and track and field.

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LSU's Sa'Myah Smith faints during Biden's speech honoring women's title team

WASHINGTON — An LSU women's basketball player fainted during the team's visit to the White House on Friday afternoon, briefly halting a speech by President Joe Biden in the East Room.

Forward Sa'Myah Smith was standing on a dais with her teammates when she suddenly collapsed midway through Biden's speech praising the national champions. White House staff rushed to the stage to attend to Smith, who was helped out of the room in a wheelchair after about six minutes.

"That's not the first time it's happened," Biden said.

The live-stream feed of the event was cut during the incident. LSU coach Kim Mulkey later took the podium and stressed that Smith, a rising sophomore, would be fine.

"As you can see, we leave our mark where we go. Sa'Myah planned that," Mulkey said to laughter. "No, Sa'Myah is fine, for those of you who are concerned. Sa'Myah is fine, I'll assure you of that. She's kind of, right now, embarrased. She doesn't want to leave. She wants to stand with us. But she needs to be checked out."

Neither Mulkey nor her players were made available to reporters following the White House visit, but LSU released a statement indicating Smith was feeling overheated and nauseous before the incident. She was "in good spirits" and would travel back with the team to Baton Rouge, according to the statement.

After the team left the White House, Smith also spoke with WBRZ sports director Michael Cauble. She said she doesn't remember much about the incident but recalls eating something prior to the ceremony.

"I do remember telling one of my coaches, I was like 'yeah I think I might just pass out.'" Smith said in the interview. "It was kind of hot and we were standing for a while."

Smith's collapse interrupted what was otherwise a celebratory day for the Tigers, who won 34 of their 36 games last season en route to a blowout victory over Iowa in the national championship game.

Smith just completed her first season with LSU after playing in high school in DeSoto, Texas. She played in every game, averaged 4.6 points and 4.0 rebounds and earned a spot on the all-SEC freshman team.

Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on Twitter @Tom_Schad .

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LSU star Angel Reese says she'll visit White House with team

• ESPN News Services

LSU star Angel Reese said Friday that she will visit the White House with her team, days after suggesting the Tigers should instead celebrate their national championship with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama rather than with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.

Reese made the suggestion after saying she was not inclined to accept an apology from Jill Biden for suggesting that both LSU and runner-up Iowa be invited to the White House. President Biden did not follow through on that idea, inviting only LSU and men's national champion Connecticut .

On Thursday, LSU confirmed it had accepted President Biden's invitation to visit the White House. There is no set date for the visit.

Reese said Friday that she would be attending with her team.

"In the beginning we were hurt. It was emotional because we know how hard we worked all year for everything," Reese said on "SportsCenter." "You don't get that experience [to go to 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.

"I'm a team player. I'm going to do what's best for the team. I'm the captain."

After LSU's victory, coach Kim Mulkey said she would go to the White House if invited.

The White House said Friday that President Biden spoke on the phone with Mulkey and called Reese "to congratulate her on LSU's historic season and championship win."

Vanessa Valdivia, a spokesperson for Jill Biden, has said that the first lady had meant no disrespect to LSU and that her comments were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. With its 102-85 triumph over the Hawkeyes, LSU's point total was the most ever scored in a championship game by a single team. The 187 combined total shattered the previous mark. The game also drew a television audience of 9.9 million, a record for an NCAA women's title game.

At an appearance in Denver on Monday, Jill Biden had praised Iowa's sportsmanship and congratulated both teams. She also said that as part of the long-standing tradition of having champions visit the White House, Iowa should come as well "because they played such a good game."

Reese on Monday called Jill Biden's suggestion "a joke."

Some social media commenters noted the racial dynamics involved, saying that only winners should be rewarded with a White House visit and that hosting both teams would detract from the achievement by LSU's team, which is predominantly Black. The Iowa team is largely white. Others noted the important role of Black women in Democratic Party politics.

President Biden was Obama's running mate and vice president for eight years. Obama actively campaigned for Biden in the 2020 election.

Reese faced criticism on social media for mockingly waving her hand in front of her face while staring down Iowa star Caitlin Clark near the end of the game. Clark, the Associated Press Player of the Year, made a similar gesture to no one in particular during Iowa's victory over Louisville in the Elite Eight.

Reese said she didn't think LSU, had it lost to Iowa, would have gotten the same praise from Jill Biden as the Hawkeyes did.

"If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House," Reese said. "I remember she made a comment about both teams should be invited because of sportsmanship. And I'm like, 'Are you saying that because of what I did?' Stuff like that, it bothers me because you are a woman at the end of the day. White, Black, it doesn't matter, you're a woman, you're supposed to be standing behind us before anything."

During LSU's championship parade through campus Wednesday night, a smiling Reese continued to wave her hand in front of her face, in between waves to cheering fans, as she sat in the back of an orange Corvette convertible.

Reese's expressiveness on and off the court has sparked increasing interest in her. According to Canada Sports Betting, Reese gained 500,000 Instagram followers in the two days after LSU's national title triumph, pushing her total of followers above 1 million.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.