USC Women's Basketball

Former ESPNer says USC women would race to White House ‘if it was Obama’

By Noah Feit

President Donald Trump hosted Collegiate National Champions Day at the White House Friday without the South Carolina women’s basketball team.

After winning the national championship, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said she would make the traditional trip to Washington, D.C., but an invitation didn’t arrive until earlier this month.

“We did hear from the White House about attending (Friday’s) event, but we will not be able to attend,” Staley said Thursday. “As I’ve been saying since our practices for this season started, all of our focus is on the season ahead. The only invitation we are thinking about is to the 2018 NCAA Tournament.”

The Gamecocks’ absence garnered significant reaction on social media. Among those commenting was former ESPN reporter Britt McHenry.

While there have been reactions in support of Staley and the Gamecocks, there have also been posts critical of their decision not to attend, instead choosing to prepare for Sunday’s game against Wofford.

In a response to another tweet, McHenry rationalized why the White House hasn’t made scheduling a USC visit a priority, before attacking the Gamecocks.

“Heaven forbid, North Korea nuclear threats, health care reform, taxes, other things might have come up before inviting a women’s college basketball team,” McHenry wrote on Twitter. “Scheduling conflict is fine. But, if it was Obama, they’d be racing to the WH.”

Henry was let go by ESPN as part of a massive layoff in April. She claimed her conservative political views are the reason behind her departure from ESPN.

Since being laid off, McHenry has also delivered harsh criticism of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Twitter. She has also appeared on Fox News a number of times.

In September, Staley told The Associated Press that she never received an invitation and expressed confusion because other championship teams had already received theirs despite winning their titles after the Gamecocks.

After winning the national championship in April 2016, the Connecticut women’s basketball team was invited to the White House and recognized by former President Barack Obama on May 10.

Prior to Friday’s ceremony, the only college champions to visit the trump White House were the Clemson football team in June, and the Air Force Academy football team (winners of the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy) in May.

North Carolina’s men’s basketball team said earlier this year it could not agree on a date for a visit.

The Tar Heels didn’t draw any scorn from McHenry, who called the USC women’s basketball team “disrespectful,” in another tweet. McHenry was trying to draw a parallel between the Gamecocks and the recently embattled UCLA men’s basketball team.

“Forget the fact @realDonaldTrump just got your UCLA male contemporaries home & out of Chinese prison. So disrespectful to turn down the White House.”

Three UCLA basketball players were recently detained for shoplifting at three high-end stores in China. Trump intervened on their behalf with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, allowing the players to return to Los Angeles.

What three male basketball players being accused of a crime has to do with women’s basketball players isn’t clear, other than they all play college basketball.

But McHenry wasn’t the only person to post disappointment with the Gamecocks.

While the USC women were the target of scorn, many also supported their decision not to attend the White House ceremony during the season.

Among those commenting on Twitter is Sports Illustrated writer Richard Deitsch. He said he had “great respect for Staley.”

Trump sparred with professional athletes who won a championship earlier this year. NBA star Stephen Curry said his championship-winning Golden State Warriors didn’t wish to meet with Trump, who then rescinded the invitation.

NCAA champion schools at the White House Friday

  • Texas A&M women’s equestrian team
  • Penn State women’s rugby team
  • Penn State men’s wrestling team
  • Ohio State men’s volleyball team
  • University of Washington’s women’s rowing team
  • University of Oklahoma’s men’s golf, women’s and men’s gymnastics
  • University of Maryland women’s lacrosse
  • University of Maryland men’s lacrosse
  • University of Virginia’s men’s tennis
  • University of Virginia’s co-ed rifle team
  • Arizona State University women’s triathlon
  • University of Florida baseball
  • Oklahoma State softball team
  • McKendree University’s women’s bowling
  • Texas A&M men’s indoor track and field
  • University of Utah skiing

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Former ESPNer says USC women would race to White House ‘if it was Obama’."

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