Jill Biden wants champions LSU — and Iowa — at White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden saidMonday that she wants the defeated Iowa women’s basketball team tobe invited to the White House in addition to the national titlewinner Louisiana State University. She watched LSU’s 102-85 victoryover Iowa from the stands on Sunday night.

Biden, speaking at the Colorado state capital in Denver, praisedIowa’s sportsmanship and congratulated both teams on theirperformance.

“I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, wealways 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 theyplayed such a good game.”

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request forcomment about whether President Joe Biden would also extend a WhiteHouse invite to Iowa — and whether it would be a joint visit withLSU or a separate engagement.

Following LSU’s victory, Tigers coach Kim Mulkey said she wouldgo to the White House if the team was invited.

LSU star Angel Reese tweeted a link to a story on Jill Biden’sremarks on Monday. “ A JOKE,” she wrote, along with threerolling-on-floor-laughing emojis.

Reese — the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player — has gotten alot of attention on social media during the past 24 hours, eversince she waved her hand in front of her face while staring downIowa star Caitlin Clark in the final moments of LSU’s win, thenpointed toward her finger as if to say a ring was coming.

Clark set the record for points scored in an NCAA Tournamentwith 191 in six games. If she saw Reese’s gestures, Clark didn’tseem concerned about them.

Social media lit up in the aftermath, with some believing it wastrash talk that’s just part of the game while others condemned herfor lacking grace in victory. Reese was unapologetic.

“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said. “Idon’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’mtoo ghetto. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So thiswas for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up onwhat they believe in. It’s unapologetically you.”

Reese is Black while Clark is white.

Clark, the scoring sensation who was the first with consecutive40-point games in an NCAA Tournament, made a similar face-wavinggesture to no one in particular during Iowa’s Elite Eight victoryover Louisville.

Iowa did not immediately respond to a request for comment on theinvitation.

In her remarks, Biden also marveled at how far women’s sports inthe U.S. have come since Title IX in 1972 gave women equal rightsin sports at schools that receive federal funding.

“It was so exciting, wasn’t it,” the first lady said. “It wassuch a great game. I’m old enough that I remember when we got TitleIX. We fought so hard, right? We fought so hard. And look at wherewomen’s sports have come today.”

___

AP Sports Writers David Brandt, Schuyler Dixon and Eric Olsoncontributed to this story.