SC State House honors Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks. Biden teases White House visit next
The South Carolina Legislature and Gov. Henry McMaster welcomed the University of South Carolina’s two-time national championship head coach Dawn Staley and the 2022 NCAA champion women’s basketball team to the State House Wednesday.
But an arguably bigger visit could be on their schedule soon.
President Joe Biden tweeted Tuesday that he looks forward to seeing the Gamecocks at the White House soon, along with the Kansas men’s basketball team, which beat the University of North Carolina for the NCAA men’s championship.
“My brackets may have been wrong, but I could not be more proud of the @GamecockWBB and @KUHoops for their NCAA championship wins,” Biden tweeted. “Your schools, your nation, and your president are proud of you. I’m looking forward to your visit to the White House.”
The Gamecocks won their second national title Sunday against the University of Connecticut 64-49.
The team now has two national championship titles, both won in the last five years under Staley, who made a title game appearance as a player with Virginia in 1991.
Legislators, particularly graduates of the state’s flagship university, beamed with pride Wednesday.
The House welcomed the basketball players and Staley with “Sandstorm” playing in the background. The players, Staley and team staff walked though the lobby to loud applause and into the Senate, where senators announced several resolutions to congratulate the team and unanimous national player of the year Aliyah Boston.
McMaster also welcomed the team, reading a proclamation, and told Staley he’s probably given her all the awards that he can.
“This team was No. 1 in the beginning, and this team is No. 1 in the end,” said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, who introduced Staley and the team on the floor Wednesday.
A likely White House visit will be the first for the team.
The Gamecocks did not visit the White House after the team’s first win in 2017.
The State’s Alexis Cubit and Greg Hadley contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 1:43 PM.
