First lady Jill Biden wants the LSU women’s champion basketball team invited to the White House alongside Iowa, the team they defeated. A move that LSU star Angel Reese called a “joke.”
The first lady let her desire to have both teams visit the White House known while speaking at the Colorado state capital in Denver, where she praised both teams.
“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.”
The first lady also celebrated the rise of women’s sports since 1972 when Title IX gave women equal rights in marks at schools that receive federal funding.
“It was so exciting, wasn’t it,” the first lady said. “It was such a great game. I’m old enough that I remember when we got Title IX. We fought so hard, right? We fought so hard. And look at where women’s sports have come today.”
The white house issued no further comment on the matter, according to the Associated Press.
In response, LSU star Angel Reese called the statement “A Joke” on Twitter.
A JOKE. https://t.co/9SiOKQNqbj
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 3, 2023
As Breitbart News reported on Sunday, Reese found herself at the center of internet controversy for taunting Iowa’s Caitlin Clark during the national title game. During the fourth quarter, when it became clear that the Tigers would win the game, Reese took the opportunity to mock Clark, giving her a taste of her own infamous medicine.
“As LSU put Iowa away in the fourth quarter, Reese pointed to her finger, signifying that it was her turn to get that championship ring and hit Clark with the John Cena ‘you can’t see me’ taunt,” noted the New York Post.
ANGEL REESE TO CAITLIN CLARK 😳 pic.twitter.com/2NY0CEzwJ3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 2, 2023
“Clark had made the taunt in Iowa’s Elite Eight win when she had a 40-point triple-double,” the paper added. “Clark had been extremely cocky over the last two games as she gained momentum in the tournament. She had 30 points in Sunday’s loss.”
The internet was divided in reaction to Reese’s taunt, with some defending it as fair game while others called it classless. For her part, Reese had no apologies.
“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said. “I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you.”