LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese exploded in anger at the idea of sharing a White House appearance with the team the Tigers defeated to win the NCAA championship.
Reese helped propel LSU to a 102-85 win over Iowa on Sunday — and became the vortex of controversy after she was criticized as “classless” for taunting Iowa star Caitlin Clark as the game was winding down.
Reese mocked Clark with wrestling star John Cena’s “You can’t see me” hand motion — something Clark had done earlier in the tournament — and made a show of pointing to the ring finger on her right hand to indicate that she would be wearing a national championship ring.
The angry response to Reese’s taunting and subsequent cries of a double standard based on race dominated Twitter on Sunday.
Enter first lady Jill Biden, who suggested during a Monday appearance in Denver that both teams should make the traditional champions’ visit to the White House.
“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,” she said, according to The Associated Press.
“A JOKE,” Reese tweeted in response to the idea.
She also shared tweets that supported her position. One came from teammate Alexis Morris, who asked former first lady Michelle Obama to invite LSU to her house.
“Michelle OBAMA can we (LSU NATIONAL CHAMPS) come celebrate our win at your house?” she wrote.
ESPN commentation Stephen A. Smith said Biden’s suggestion was “bad.”
“I mean absolutely zero disrespect to the First Lady, but you are 1000% correct. That is a bad suggestion. Runner-ups don’t get invited to the White House. Why are we trying to change it now? I completely agree with you, Angel,” he wrote.
Others brought race into the conversation.
Some mocked the first lady for fanning the flames of a divisive situation.
The AP said Iowa did not immediately respond to a request for comment on a possible White House invitation.
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