On Monday, April 3, First Lady Jill Biden stated that she wanted both the national champions Louisiana State University and the defeated Iowa women’s basketball team to come to the White House.
She sat in the stands for LSU’s win over Iowa 102-85 on Sunday, April 2. In the final seconds of LSU’s victory over Iowa, LSU star Angel Reese waved her hand in front of her face and stared down Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
“I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do. 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,” Jill Biden said.
She then pointed to her finger as if to indicate that a ring was coming. Following the game, social media exploded, with some claiming it was just game-related trash talk and others criticizing Reese for showing no respect in winning. Clark, however, has previously made a similar gesture.
Many shared Reese’s disappointment with the first lady’s comment.
“No Ma’am!” Keith Boykin, former Clinton White House aide, wrote. “When Black women win a national championship, they should not be forced to share the stage with the losing team.”
