Caitlin Clark, Iowa Won't Be Invited to White House After Loss to Angel Reese, LSU

The press secretary for Jill Biden clarified comments the first lady made about possibly inviting national runner-up Iowa to the White House following the 2023 NCAA women's basketball tournament.

Vanessa Valdivia said Tuesday morning that Biden "intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes":

Biden said Monday that she and President Joe Biden planned to welcome LSU to the nation's capital to celebrate their championship triumph.

"But, you know, I'm going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come too, because they played such a good game," she added.

The comments almost immediately drew criticism, including from Tigers star and NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player Angel Reese:

Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes certainly caught the country's attention en route to the title game. The junior guard dropped 41 points in a Final Four victory over reigning champion South Carolina, and her 191 total points were a tournament record.

But White House visits are reserved for the winning teams, which Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder acknowledged on Tuesday:

Iowa's invitation—be it informal or otherwise—for many reflected the racial double standard in women's sports.

White athletes typically receive a disproportionate amount of coverage compared to women of color. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley also explained how her team continues to experience the stereotypes and coded language reserved for Black athletes.

Days after Staley's press conference, the dynamic was reinforced. In the waning moments of her team's victory, Reese taunted Clark and pointed to her ring finger.

Even though Reese was largely mimicking what Clark had done to Louisville's Hailey Van Lith, she was called "classless" among many other derisive adjectives. Clark, on the other hand, had been largely praised for her showmanship and even received a shoutout from WWE legend John Cena.

When Jill Biden's comments first made the rounds of social media, one question some fans had was whether the same treatment would've been afforded to LSU if the roles had been reversed and Iowa had been crowned the national champion.

President Biden said Tuesday on Twitter he's looking forward to seeing the Tigers and the Connecticut men's basketball team, which defeated San Diego State on Monday, at the White House:

It's unclear when either program will make the trip to Washington, D.C.