United States President, Joe Biden on Monday celebrated the 2020 WNBA champions Seattle Storm.
Gatekeepers News reports that the President acknowledged their success on the court and hailed the four-time title holders for changing lives with their activism when the WNBA team visited the White House. The team includes five Olympic gold medalists.
Biden also took a moment to acknowledge the efforts of the team members to beam their light on the issue of police brutality in Black communities, promote voter registration, speak out about violence against transgendered people and encourage Americans to get vaccinated.
“What makes this team remarkable is they don’t just win games, they change lives,” Biden said. “That’s what winners do. They shine the light and lift people up. They’re a force for change. That’s the Seattle Storm, that’s the WNBA.”
Ginny Gilder, co-owner of Storm, in her remarks, applauded the team’s activism and noted WNBA players’ efforts in 2020 on behalf of Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in their winning Senate campaigns in Georgia.
Also, Storm forward Breanna Stewart in brief remarks, said: “It feels good to be back in this place and have our achievements celebrated in this way.”
Gatekeepers News reports that prior to the visit, Seattle guard Sue Bird said that with former President Donald Trump exit, she was happy to visit the White House “now that it’s back in a place where it’s considered an honor.”
“I think for a very long time, up until 2016, going to the White House was an honor—it wasn’t necessarily political,” Bird added. “It was to meet the president of the United States. The person who holds that office acknowledging your team’s success.”
Several WNBA players, including Bird, have been blunt in their embrace of social justice movements such as Black Lives Matter, which Trump described as a violent, extremist ideology.
