University of South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley celebrated her team's national championship win with President Biden at the White House on Tuesday.
Staley and the team's appearance came months after she appeared to distance herself from her support for Biden's reelection campaign following his disastrous defeat in the June debates. The basketball Hall of Famer was seen holding hands with Biden at the ceremony.
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President Biden, along with University of South Carolina women's basketball team coach Dawn Staley, attend an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, to welcome the University of South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team and celebrate their 2023-2024 NCAA championship season. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Staley thanked Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, for embracing the team. Staley praised diversity and recalled the moment the Confederate flag was lowered from the Capitol.
“I am reminded of the journey our state, our home state of South Carolina, has come through,” Staley said, via The State. “Not long ago, the Confederate flag, a symbol of division and exclusion, was taken down from our state capitol. That moment was more than just a symbol being removed. It was a moment of people coming together, united behind a shared vision of progress, justice and equality.”
Biden mocks men's college basketball for lower viewership than women's, champion visits White House
Dawn Staley, head coach of the University of South Carolina women's basketball team, speaks as President Biden looks on during an event welcoming the University of South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team and celebrating the 2023-2024 NCAA championship season, in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“Today, my staff, my team and I stand here representing diversity, inclusion and unity. I hope this moment serves as a powerful reminder to everyone on my team of the beauty that comes from coming together for a common goal and doing things the right way.”
In July, Staley attended an event with former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. She wrote to X that Obama was “the coolest guy on the planet” and that she had borrowed his wife for “four years.”
“@BarackObama, I remain grateful for your inspiration & leadership. Now let me just borrow @MichelleObama for 4 years! The First Gentleman suits you well!,” she posted to X.
President Biden walks down the aisle with Dawn Staley. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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Biden withdrew from the presidential race after a June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris was tapped to run in his place. Staley praised Biden for dropping out.
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