LSU’s Angel Reese says her team won’t go to the White House but the school’s athletic department says it will accept invite to the White House

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LSU’s women’s basketball team won the NCAA National Championship against Iowa last week, but the victory was not without controversy. The Tigers’ star player, Angel Reese, has announced that she and her team will not be visiting the White House, despite the school’s athletic department accepting the invitation.

The controversy stems from the on-court behavior of Reese and Iowa’s standout player, Caitlin Clark, during the championship game. The two engaged in taunting and trash talk throughout the game, which led to criticism from some fans and commentators. Reese later apologized for her behavior and acknowledged that it was not in line with LSU’s values.

In a statement released on Monday, Reese confirmed that she and her teammates had made the decision not to visit the White House. She cited concerns about the safety of her team, as well as the ongoing controversy surrounding her and Clark’s behavior during the championship game.

Speaking on Monday, Biden congratulated both teams on their performance in Sunday’s national championship game, as well as specifically highlighting Iowa’s sportsmanship.

“Last night, I attended the NCAA women’s basketball championship,” said Biden, while speaking at an event at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.

“So 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 [Biden] I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.”

Reese, a 20-year-old forward, responded to Biden’s comments, calling them “A JOKE” on Monday, and on an Instagram post from “The Shade Room,” the recently crowned NCAA champion commented: “WE NOT COMING. period.”

However, LSU’s athletic department has announced that it will still be accepting the invitation to visit the White House. In a separate statement, the department said that it recognizes the significance of the invitation and believes it is important to honor the tradition of visiting the White House.

“While we respect Angel’s decision, we also believe that it is important to represent LSU and the state of Louisiana at the highest levels,” the department said in its statement. “We are grateful for the opportunity to visit the White House and look forward to the experience.”

The controversy surrounding Reese and Clark’s behavior has overshadowed the Tigers’ National Championship win, but it remains to be seen how it will impact the team going forward. Despite the decision not to visit the White House, Reese and her teammates have expressed pride in their victory and hope to continue building on their success in the future.