The White House Celebrates NCAA Basketball Champions
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will host the 2024 NCAA basketball champions, South Carolina and Connecticut, at the White House on Tuesday to celebrate their most recent national titles
South Carolina completed a flawless 38-0 season on their way to winning the women’s title, becoming just the fifth women’s program in NCAA history to go undefeated. Head coach Dawn Staley led the Gamecocks to their third championship since 2017. On the other hand, UConn’s men’s team, coached by Dan Hurley, achieved a 37-3 record in claiming their second consecutive title. The two teams will be honored with separate ceremonies in the East Room by President Biden.
Despite losing all five starters from the previous year’s team that fell short in the Final Four, South Carolina dominated the season, leading the nation in scoring defense, margin of victory, and blocked shots. Meanwhile, UConn’s victory marked their sixth men’s national title, making them only the third team to achieve back-to-back championships since the UCLA dynasty of the 1960s and ’70s.
This will be South Carolina’s first visit to the White House, as they did not attend following their championships in 2017 and 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris met with the team during a visit to Columbia, South Carolina, earlier this year. Staley, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and coach of the U.S. women’s basketball team at the Tokyo Olympics, recently participated as a member of the presidential delegation to the Paris Olympics.
Last year, President Biden honored UConn following their fifth championship win. The White House ceremony recognizes the hard work and dedication of these exceptional basketball programs.
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