Biden praises WNBA champs for social justice activism

[ad_1]

WASHINGTON President Joe Biden honored the WNBA champion in Seattle on Monday, celebrating their victory on the court and thanking the four-time title owners for their life-changing activism.

The visit marked the first time an NBA or WNBA team has visited the White House since the Cleveland Cavaliers were taken over by Barack Obama in 2016.

College presidents and major league sports champions usually host for a White House ceremony. But the two major basketball leagues skipped such celebrations during the Donald Trump administration because many prominent players and coaches spoke out about their opposition to Trump’s rhetoric and policies.

Biden was impressed with the team and its performances on the court. The team includes three players who won gold medals as part of the women’s team on the USA team at the summer Olympics namely Sue Bird, Jewell Lloyd and Breanna Stewart. The three presented Biden with a Storm jersey souvenir.

Ad

Biden also took time to note the efforts of team members to highlight the issue of police brutality in Black communities, promote voter registration, speak out about violence against transgendered people and encourage Americans to be vaccinated. .

What’s remarkable about this team is that they not only won games, they changed lives, Biden said. That’s what the winners do. They show light and lift people up. They have the force for change. That’s the Seattle Storm, that’s the WNBA.

Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder also praised the team’s activity and cited the efforts of WNBA players last year on behalf of Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in their winning Senate campaigns in Georgia.

Warnock defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, co-owner of Atlanta Dream. Loeffler, an ally of Trump, has been criticized from WNBA players for attacking the Black Lives Matter movement. Loeffler and his co-owners sold the team this year.

Ad

It feels good to come back to this place and celebrate our achievements this way, Stewart said in a brief statement at the ceremony.

Prior to the visit, Bird said Trump was not in office, he was happy to visit the White House now that it has returned to a place where it was considered an honor.

Many WNBA players, including Bird, are unaware of their embrace of social justice movements like Black Lives Matter, which Trump identified as a violent, radical ideology. Trump also criticized Birds ’fiance, US soccer star Megan Rapinoe.

I think for a very long time, until 2016, going to the White House was an honor that it was not necessarily political, “Bird said before the visit. It was to recognize the president of the United States. The recognition office recognized the success of your team.

Ad

During his campaigns and presidency, Trump garnered numerous public spats including prominent athletes and coaches seeking to use their celebrity to highlight social justice and other issues.

Trump beat Stephen Curry and his Golden State Warrior colleagues in 2017 after they rejected the custom of an invitation to the White House. The Republican has repeatedly fought Lakers star LeBron James, who was an outspoken critic of Trump and endorsed Hillary Clinton and Biden’s White House run.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

[ad_2]