“We’ll go to the Obamas!” Angel Reese SPARKS a huge controversy by rejecting First Lady Jill Biden’s apology

LSU's Angel Reese declines White House invitation and plans to meet with the Obamas instead

“We’ll go to the Obamas!” Angel Reese SPARKS a huge controversy by rejecting First Lady Jill Biden’s apology

LSU Tigers women’s basketball team emerged as champions in the recent Final Four tournament and were invited to visit the White House by First Lady Jill Biden. However, one of their players, Angel Reese, has chosen to decline the invitation, even after Biden apologized for mistakenly inviting both the runner-up, Iowa, and the champions. Reese has remained resolute in her decision not to visit the White House.

Reese’s reluctance to accept the invitation stems from her belief that the White House should only be reserved for national champions, and that if LSU were to lose, they would not receive an invitation. She also alleges that the comments made by Biden were related to her late-game hand gestures towards Iowa’s Caitlin Clark during the Tigers’ win.

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Reese voiced her frustration on the I Am Athlete podcast, saying, “If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House. I remember she made a comment about both teams should be invited because it’s sportsmanship. And I’m like, ‘Are you saying that stuff because of what I did?’ Stuff like that, it bothers me. You are a woman at the end of the day and you’re supposed to be standing behind us before anything.”

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However, Reese expressed her excitement about potentially meeting the Obamas instead, as the team plans to return to Houston next spring to try and win another national championship.

Former President Barack Obama had expressed his admiration for Reese’s performance during the NCAA Tournament, and Reese has taken to Twitter to express her eagerness to meet Michelle Obama and her family.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark responds to Reese’s gesture

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Meanwhile, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has responded to Reese’s gesture, stating that she did not find it objectionable.

They played tremendous. … We are all competitive and show our emotions in a different way,” Clark said during an ESPN appearance. “Angel is a tremendous, tremendous player. I have nothing but respect for her. I love her game. … I’m a big fan of her and the entire LSU team. They played an amazing game. I don’t think there should be any criticism for what she did. I honestly didn’t see it when the game was going on.”

Clark also slammed the idea of Iowa receiving a White House invitation alongside LSU as a runner-ups, saying that the trip is usually reserved for national champions and should stay that way. “I don’t think runner-ups usually go to the White House. I think LSU should enjoy that moment for them.”

While Reese’s gesture towards Clark may have drawn criticism from some national media outlets, SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum dismissed the reaction as overblown.

“No, I don’t (have a problem with it). I think if Caitlin Clark hadn’t done the same thing a couple days ago in another game, I think it was against Louisville, maybe you can say it was uncalled for, but I don’t think you can,” Finebaum said. “These are athletes at the top of their level and they’re just having fun with it. And I really did not find it objectionable. I like what Angel Reese said and who she was and I’m behind her 100%.”

Meanwhile, Clark’s impressive performances throughout the tournament established her as one of the top players in women’s college basketball, and her response to Reese’s gesture shows a level of sportsmanship that embodies the spirit of the game.