NCAA coach declines first lady’s White House invite, says Bidens should come to team’s state

Lisa Bluder, the coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team who despite coming up short in the NCAA title game was invited to the White House by first lady Jill Biden in what has become a hot mess, politely declined the offer that is usually reserved for winners.

Mrs. Biden caused quite a stir when she suggested that the Hawkeyes, who were thumped by LSU by a score of 102-85 in Sunday’s title game, should be included on the traditional visit, drawing ridicule over what some likened to a participation trophy.

“I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do,” said Biden during a visit to Denver after she attended the big game at American Airlines Center in Dallas, according to ESPN. “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.”

Coach Bluder was gracious in her response to Dr. Jill, rejecting the idea that her team would be a part of any potential joint visit while giving credit to the victorious Tigers and pointing out that only the winners are deserving of such an honor while inviting Biden to come to visit Iowa instead.

“I gratefully acknowledge the First Lady’s sentiments, but a day at the White House should belong solely to the champion, LSU and Coach Mulkey. We would welcome the First Lady and President to come to Iowa’s ‘House’ – Carver Hawkeye Arena — any time!” Bluder tweeted.

The first lady’s suggestion that Iowa should also be honored was met with scorn by LSU’s star player Angel Reese who mocked Biden’s “invite” as “A JOKE” on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/Reese10Angel/status/1643024890813874179?s=20

Reese also publicly and brutally rejected Mrs. Biden’s apology, dragging Barack and Michelle Obama into it for good measure.

“I’m not gonna lie to you, I don’t accept the apology because of, you said what you said. … I said what I said. And like, you can’t go back on certain things that you say,” Reese said during an appearance on the “Paper Route” podcast. “I mean, you like felt like they should’ve came because of sportsmanship, right? They can have that spotlight. We’ll go to the Obamas, we’ll see Michelle, we’ll see Barack.”

https://twitter.com/IAMATHLETEpod/status/1643618384658014210?s=20

“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,” Jill Biden’s press secretary Vanessa Valdivia said in a statement to mitigate the damage of her boss’s ridiculous suggestion.

“Her comments in Colorado were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House,” Valdivia tweeted on Tuesday.

“I don’t think runner-ups usually go to the White House,” the losing Hawkeye’s star Caitlin Clark told ESPN. “I think LSU should enjoy that moment for them. And congratulations, obviously. They deserve to go there. Maybe I could to the White House on different terms though. But I think that’s for LSU. That’s a pretty cool moment, and they should enjoy every single second of being a champion.”

“More than anything, I’m just lucky enough that there were some really cool people in the arena at that championship game Sunday night,” she added. “There were some really highly sought-after people watching and supporting women’s basketball, and that’s exactly what this game needs. I appreciate the first lady being in the house and watching both teams and supporting the greatness of women’s basketball.”

Chris Donaldson

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