The University of Connecticut’s men’s basketball team and Louisiana State University’s women’s basketball team are set to visit the White House on May 26 to be recognized for their national championships. The UConn men’s team secured its fifth national title in April by defeating San Diego State 76-59. The LSU women’s basketball team defeated the University of Iowa 102-85 to claim the program’s first national title.

However, controversy arose following the initial invitation to LSU after first lady Jill Biden said in a speech that the defeated Iowa women’s team should also be invited to the White House “because they played such a good game.” This statement went against the usual practice of only hosting champions, which has been the norm at the White House for several decades.

LSU’s star player, Angel Reese, expressed her disagreement with Biden’s statement by tweeting a link to a news article about the incident, pointedly labelling it “A JOKE” with three laughing emoticons. Reese recommended in a podcast that she and her team celebrate their victory with Barack and Michelle Obama.

However, Reese later stated in an ESPN interview that she would still be attending the White House event because she wants to do what is best for the team, despite her personal disagreement with the initial invitation. The team visits are expected to take place on May 26, with President Joe Biden and Jill Biden welcoming the champions to the White House.