After Angel Reese Declined, LSU Will ‘Certainly Accept White House Invitation’

Despite the strong comments from LSU’s basketball star Angel Reese, the school’s athletics department is making it known that they will indeed accept a White House invitation.

Reese said in an interview earlier this week on “I AM ATHLETE” podcast that her team would not be visiting the White House after First Lady Jill Biden suggested that the losing team Iowa should also be included.

“We’ll go to the Obama’s. We’ll see Michelle. We’ll see Barack.”⁰⁰LSU Women’s Basketball star Angel Reese doesn’t accept First Lady Jill Biden’s apology

Subscribe for the full #PaperRoute convo → https://t.co/ENS0ZpXoKM pic.twitter.com/fQXeRHYP9i

— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) April 5, 2023

Although the first lady clarified her comments, Reese did not accept her apology and suggested that the team would rather meet with Former President Barack Obama and Michelle.

However, CNN reports that LSU’s athletics department said they would “certainly accept an invitation.”

Traditionally, the national champions would be invited to visit the White House. However, when word got out that the first lady wanted both teams to come to the White House, Reese took to Twitter to share her thoughts, calling the suggestion ‘A Joke’.

“Last night, I attended the NCAA women’s basketball championship,” said Biden, while speaking at an event. “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’s reaction was particularly significant because she was the subject of mainstream media scrutiny for gesturing toward Iowa’s star player, Caitlin Clark, in the final moments of Monday night’s game.

The gesture in question was one that Clark did to the University of Louisville’s team days earlier. In that instance, Clark, who is white, was widely applauded for her gamesmanship. But when Reese, who is Black did the same gesture toward Clark, she was widely condemned by what seemed to be a contingency of angry white men.

If it wasn’t “classless” when Caitlin Clark did it, don’t call it classless when Angel Reese does it. Let the women compete, it’s sports!! pic.twitter.com/lJpS1NId68

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) April 2, 2023

In one instance, political commentator Keith Olbermann called Reese, who is a 20-year-old sophomore, a “f*cking idiot.” (Olbermann later walked back his name-calling after he admitted he didn’t know Clark did the same thing, but his knee-jerk reaction to target Reese is telling.)

Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy took to Twitter to call Reese a “classless piece of sh*t.”

There are many other reactions along those same lines.

Neither of those men, however, had anything bad to say about Clark when she did the same thing to Louisville.

Reese made it clear during the post-game press conference that she understood the racial dynamics of the criticism.

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

It was in that context that Biden on Monday appeared to extend an invitation to both LSU and Iowa basketball players to the White House.

On Tuesday, Biden sought to clarify her comments through a spokesperson.

“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,” Vanessa Valdivia, Biden’s press secretary, tweeted Tuesday morning.

Valdivia added in a subsequent tweet: “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.”

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.

— Vanessa Valdivia (@vvaldivia46) April 4, 2023

Of course, social media has had its thoughts all week, but it looks like regardless of any public comments, the school will still be accepting an invitation from the president.

SEE ALSO:

After Backlash, Jill Biden Clarifies Unprecedented Dual LSU-Iowa White House Invitation

Protect Angel Reese At All Costs

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