No invite from the Trump White House to celebrate their team’s championship? Joe and Clara Wu improvised and got a different president.
The New York Liberty played the Washington Mystics in the nation’s capital Thursday. It was their first game in D.C. and normally, when champion sports teams visit the White House, get their pictures taken with the President of the United States and enjoy a light meal.
The tradition, in fact, began back in 1865 when President Andrew Jackson hosted the Brooklyn Atlantics who played at a field a few blocks down Atlantic Avenue from where Barclays Center. The Atlantics visited because they had won the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players championship the previous season,
But this is 2025, the era of “not my president” and the tradition has waned. No NBA or WNBA team has visited the White House in President Trump’s terms as 45th or 47th president. Moreover, as of Wednesday, the Liberty said they hadn’t received an invite to the White House … and have no plans to go.
So Joe and Clara Wu Tsai improvised so their team would still get a meeting with a man who served in the nation’s highest office … and who loves the game.
As the Post’s Madeline Kenney wrote exclusively Friday, Breanna Stewart had a feeling that Tuesday night’s dinner after a win over the Mystics wasn’t going to be ordinary.
Liberty owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai seemed distracted, Stewart told Kenney, as if they were waiting for someone. Then in walked the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle — much to the surprise of everyone but the owners. The entire Liberty team rose to their feet and cheered.
Obama, who won a Hawaii high school basketball championship and hosted NBA players at White House pick-up games, and the former First Lady, a prominent voice in the equal pay movement in women’s sports, mingled with the players, coaches and front office staff. Stewart and Sandy Brondello noted they had met President Obama during previous champions’ visits to the executive mansion.
President Obama remembered Stewart from her previous White House visits with UConn. She won four NCAA championship between 2013 and 2016, Obama’s second term.
“It was amazing,” Stewart told The Post after Wednesday’s practice. “I’ve been to the White House when I won in college and stuff like that, but this was way more intimate.”
Brondello had visited the White House with her Phoenix Mercury in 2016 to celebrate the Merc’s title the summer before.
“He knew that I was a coach, so that’s pretty cool, you know what I mean?” Brondello told Kenney. “They follow and love basketball. They’re great supporters of our game and all basketball, but the women’s game in particular. So it was pretty neat for them to take some time out of their busy schedules to come and congratulate us and inspire us.”
Kenney reported The Trump White House did not respond to an inquiry from The Post about whether the Liberty had been invited to celebrate their championship.
- Liberty celebrate title in Washington with ‘amazing’ meeting with Obamas ($) – Madeline Kenney – New York Post