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The LSU Tigers women’s basketball team is headed to the White House basketball.
The Tigers took the world by storm when they knocked off Caitlin Clark in Iowa in the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all-time to win the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
What followed, however, was a slew of controversy. Almost all of which involved LSU superstar Angel Reese.
Reese is one of the country’s top players. But she caught heat for her celebration, which some saw as taunting Clark. Clark defended her actions and that only turned up the discourse.
It reached a breaking point when First Lady Jill Biden suggested that both LSU and Iowa be invited to the White House in the name of “sportsmanship.”
This didn’t sit well with Reese.
“If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House,” Reese said on the I Am Athlete podcast.
“I remember [Biden] made a comment about, both teams should be invited because of sportsmanship, and I’m like, ‘Are you saying because of what I did?’ ” Reese added, referencing her taunt of Clark.
“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,” said Reese. “So, it’s hard to see things like that and not comment back on it.”
Reese then said then said she rejected Biden’s apology.
“That’s why she wants to come out and apologize,” Reese explained. “But at the same time, I don’t accept it, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t accept the apology. You said what you said.”
She followed by rejected the White House invitation.
“[Iowa] can have that spotlight. We’ll go to the Obamas,” Reese said. “I’m gonna see Michelle. I’m gonna see Barack.”
As it turns out, she doesn’t speak for all of her teammates.
The Associated Press reports that the Tigers will, in fact, head to Washington D.C.
University spokesman Michael Bonnette confirmed LSU’s intentions on the matter on Thursday, a day after Tigers star forward Angel Reese suggested during a podcast interview that her team should celebrate their title with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama rather than President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
Whether Reese goes or not is yet to be seen. But it’s clear her Tigers teammates want to be there.