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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden honored 2024 NCAA basketball champions South Carolina and Connecticut at the White House on Tuesday, celebrating the two powerhouse programs’ most recent national title runs.
South Carolina went 38-0 en route to its latest women’s title. It was coach Don Staley’s third championship with the Gamecocks since 2017. Biden hailed South Carolina for ushering in an era of increased interest in women’s sports.
South Carolina’s title game against Iowa drew more viewers than the men’s championship this year, averaging 18.7 million viewers and peaking at 24 million viewers on ABC and ESPN.
“I think it’s fair to say everybody, everybody watches the women’s game now,” Biden said. “When new fans watch for the first time, when young girls see their idols, they see the power of your example.”
Later, at a separate celebration for the University of Connecticut men’s team, Biden marveled at the success of the Huskies squad, which included four first-round picks in the latest NBA draft. UConn coach Dan Hurley’s team went 37-3 for its second straight title.
“Obviously, you’ve got to have something in the water there,” said Biden, who also noted that 11 athletes competing in this summer’s Paris Olympics had UConn ties.
South Carolina’s flawless year also came after Staley lost five starters from its 2023 Final Four loss. The Gamecocks were dominant throughout their historic season, leading the nation in defense, margin of victory and blocked shots.
For UConn, it was the school’s sixth men’s national title. The Huskies joined the 2006-07 Florida Gators and 1991-92 Duke Blue Devils as the third team to repeat after John Wooden’s UCLA dynasty of the 1960s and 70s.
This summer Hurley turned down an offer to coach the Los Angeles Lakers and signed a six-year, $50 million contract to stay at UConn. He said his focus now is on winning a third consecutive title. No men’s program has accomplished the three-peat since UCLA won seven in a row between 1967 and 1973.
This was South Carolina’s first White House visit. Staley and the Gamecocks did not visit the White House after championships in 2017 and 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris met with the group earlier this year while in Columbia, South Carolina.
Staley, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and coach of the US women’s basketball team in Tokyo three years ago, recently served as a member of the president’s delegation to the Paris Olympics.
Several prominent current and former South Carolinian politicians attended Tuesday’s event for Gamecocks, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, Democratic Rep. James Clyburn and former Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, who is now a senior adviser to the president.
Biden joked that there could be some fierce competition among South Carolina officeholders if the popular Staley tries politics.
“All of you who are in public office in South Carolina, you better hope that he continues to coach and not run,” Biden said of Staley.
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