White House backtracks on Jill Biden's invitation to winning and losing women's basketball teams

First lady Dr. Jill Biden.
(Image credit: Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

First lady Jill Biden's office backtracked Tuesday on her suggestion that both the winning and losing teams from the NCAA women's basketball championship should be hosted 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," Vanessa Valdeeva, Biden's press secretary, tweeted, adding, "Her comments ... were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship."

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While it is standard for college and professional championship teams to get a day at the White House, the first lady's apparent invitation to Iowa caused a stir on social media, as ABC News noted that "the Biden administration has welcomed a host of sports champions to the White House — but never a runner-up team."

Angel Reese, a sophomore on the LSU basketball team, called Biden's comments "A JOKE."

Keith Boykin, a former White House aide with the Clinton administration, shared a similar sentiment. "No Ma'am! When Black women win a national championship, they should not be forced to share the stage with the losing team," he tweeted.

Following Valdeeva's statement, President Biden himself tweeted that he was looking forward to hosting LSU at the White House — with no mention of Iowa.

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.