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.
