National champions UConn, South Carolina to visit White House

Both UConn, the men’s national champion in college basketball, and South Carolina, the women’s national champion, will visit the White House on Tuesday to commemorate last season’s title runs, a White House official told ESPN.

Erika Trombley, the director of consumer media at the White House, said President Joe Biden will welcome both teams Tuesday “to celebrate their 2023-24 season and their NCAA national championship victories.”

The programs have been two of the most dominant teams in recent college basketball history.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley secured her third national championship in April with an 87-75 victory over Wooden Award winner  Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the title game. With the win, the 38-0 Gamecocks became the 10th team in Division I history to achieve an undefeated season.

For Dan Hurley, UConn’s men’s team won its second consecutive national title, a feat that had not been achieved in college basketball since the  Florida Gators won back-to-back crowns in 2006 and 2007.

Hurley might be wearing a familiar garment on the trip to the White House next week. During the NCAA tournament, he wore the same pair of underwear as part of a superstitious routine.

“Most people think I only use the dragon underwear on game night, in these high-stress situations, but I also — I’m very good to the dragon underwear, because I’m going to wear them to the White House,” Hurley said during an appearance on the “Today” show after the victory.