The Las Vegas Aces were the WNBA champions for the second time in a row. President Biden made a mistake during his speech, but he was still able to welcome them at the White House.
Candace Parker, who recently retired, was a part of the team and played in 18 games throughout the season.
She earned her third championship as a player, even though she didn’t play in the playoffs.
Parker announced her retirement from the industry on April 28, following a long and illustrious professional career.
Biden singled her out even though she did not travel to Washington. He did call her “one the greatest coaches of all time” in WNBA’s history. Parker has never coached a WNBA game.
Biden continued, “And even though she couldn’t make it here, I would like to recognize someone who will go down in history as one of the best coaches ever, Candace Parker”, followed by applause. “She played in the league for 16 years, won two Olympic Gold Medals and two MVPs during regular seasons, as well as a Finals MVP. “And look, and she retired from the game on top of the World with her third ring.”
Biden joked, about the upcoming election, that he too, like the Aces wants to go back and forth.
Biden stated that women’s basketball has had a banner year during his speech.
Biden stated that it was important for girls and women to finally see themselves represented, during the celebration held in the East Room at the White House. It’s important to all Americans. We need to support women in sports as a country.
Las Vegas Aces won their second consecutive WNBA Championship by defeating the New York Liberty at the WNBA Championship last October.
The defending NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, notably canceled their visit earlier this year, citing their quest to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference (they got the No. 2 seed after a tiebreaker).
The Golden State Warriors, the NBA champions for 2021-2022, visited the White House last January after failing to do so in 2017 or 2018 when then-President Trump held office.
The winners of the NBA Finals in 2019 and 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, did not visit the White House as a way to celebrate their victories. However, the Milwaukee Bucks visited Biden to mark the occasion in November 2021.
Five days after the Washington Nationals’ World Series win over the Houston Astros, the Washington Nationals were the last championship team that visited Trump while he was in office. Biden was in office when the restrictions were lifted. The pandemic has made visiting more difficult.
Last year, the UConn women’s team and LSU men’s team visited Biden. The president has been criticized for not initially inviting the University of Georgia’s football team. The Bulldogs declined the invitation after they received it. The Bulldogs did not go the year before either due to COVID-19 security precautions.
