First Lady Jill Biden, who attended Sunday’s Women’s NCAA National Championship Game, is walking back the controversial comments she made that had the sports world in an uproar.
Biden said on Monday that she’d like to see Caitlin Clark and the runner-up Iowa Hawkeyes join the champion LSU Tigers for the traditional winners’ celebration at the White House. Naturally, there was some pushback from the sports world, who roasted Biden for her offer, despite Iowa losing 102-85
“I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do. So, we hope LSU will come,” she said on Monday. “But, you know, I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.”
On Tuesday, First Lady Biden’s press secretary took to Twitter to push back on that idea.
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,” press secretary Vanessa Valdivia wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “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.”
Sunday’s national championship game was a record-breaker as 9.9 million viewers tuned in to watch LSU defeat Iowa. It was the most viewed women’s college basketball game ever.
It was hard to imagine that the White House would follow through on Biden’s request, given the public outcry. This all but confirms that.