Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
Percy Allen, The Seattle Times
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
Susan Walsh
President Joe Biden, right, speaks as he welcomes the Seattle Storm to the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, for their 2020 WNBA Championship. Going him on stage is Crystal Langhorne, former Seattle Storm player and Director of Community Engagement, Force4Change, left, and Ginny Gilder, Seattle Storm owner, second from left.
Susan Walsh
President Joe Biden, right, speaks as he welcomes the Seattle Storm to the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021, for their 2020 WNBA Championship. Going him on stage is Crystal Langhorne, former Seattle Storm player and Director of Community Engagement, Force4Change, left, and Ginny Gilder, Seattle Storm owner, second from left.
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
Charlie Neibergall
The U.S. national team, the No. 1 squad in the world per FIBA rankings, boasts 63 consecutive wins in official FIBA competitions, starting with the 2006 World Cup bronze-medal game (the game before, the U.S. fell to Russia in the semifinals). Across that 15-year span, the U.S. women have won three World Cups and another three Olympics.
What’s even more astounding is that since 1996 the U.S. national team is 112-1 in major international competitions, including Olympic, World Cup and FIBA AmeriCup and Olympic qualifying play.
Charlie Neibergall
The U.S. national team, the No. 1 squad in the world per FIBA rankings, boasts 63 consecutive wins in official FIBA competitions, starting with the 2006 World Cup bronze-medal game (the game before, the U.S. fell to Russia in the semifinals). Across that 15-year span, the U.S. women have won three World Cups and another three Olympics.
What’s even more astounding is that since 1996 the U.S. national team is 112-1 in major international competitions, including Olympic, World Cup and FIBA AmeriCup and Olympic qualifying play.
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
Charlie Neibergall
The U.S. has won 49 straight Olympic games, starting with the 1992 bronze-medal game and running through the 2016 gold-medal game. Team USA can make it 50 with a victory Tuesday against Nigeria in its Olympic opener.
Put another way: U.S. women’s basketball has not lost in the Olympics in the lifetimes of half their players for Tokyo, including Ariel Atkins (24), Jewell Loyd (27), Napheesa Collier (24), Chelsea Gray (28), A’ja Wilson (24) and Breanna Stewart (26).
In all, the U.S. national team is 66-3 throughout 10 Olympic competitions. The other two losses came in 1976, when the U.S. took home silver.
Charlie Neibergall
The U.S. has won 49 straight Olympic games, starting with the 1992 bronze-medal game and running through the 2016 gold-medal game. Team USA can make it 50 with a victory Tuesday against Nigeria in its Olympic opener.
Put another way: U.S. women’s basketball has not lost in the Olympics in the lifetimes of half their players for Tokyo, including Ariel Atkins (24), Jewell Loyd (27), Napheesa Collier (24), Chelsea Gray (28), A’ja Wilson (24) and Breanna Stewart (26).
In all, the U.S. national team is 66-3 throughout 10 Olympic competitions. The other two losses came in 1976, when the U.S. took home silver.
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
Charlie Neibergall
The U.S. women don’t just win, they win big. During the program’s 49-game Olympic win streak, Team USA has defeated opponents by an average margin of 30.4 points. Their average margin of victory was even higher in Rio: 37.3.
Moreover, the 2016 Olympic team scored at least 100 points in six of its eight games, including the gold-medal game.
Charlie Neibergall
The U.S. women don’t just win, they win big. During the program’s 49-game Olympic win streak, Team USA has defeated opponents by an average margin of 30.4 points. Their average margin of victory was even higher in Rio: 37.3.
Moreover, the 2016 Olympic team scored at least 100 points in six of its eight games, including the gold-medal game.
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
Charlie Neibergall
Team USA’s eight gold medals in the 11 Olympics since women’s basketball was added to the Summer Games in 1976 is impressive as it is. But starting with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the U.S. Olympic team has won six consecutive gold medals — a level of dominance rarely seen in sports.
The U.S. men’s basketball Olympic team won seven straight golds from 1936-1968, a streak the women are heavily favored to match in a couple of weeks. India’s men’s field hockey program is currently tied with the U.S. women’s basketball team with six straight golds from 1928-1956.
Charlie Neibergall
Team USA’s eight gold medals in the 11 Olympics since women’s basketball was added to the Summer Games in 1976 is impressive as it is. But starting with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the U.S. Olympic team has won six consecutive gold medals — a level of dominance rarely seen in sports.
The U.S. men’s basketball Olympic team won seven straight golds from 1936-1968, a streak the women are heavily favored to match in a couple of weeks. India’s men’s field hockey program is currently tied with the U.S. women’s basketball team with six straight golds from 1928-1956.
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP
Basketball and UConn legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are joining an exclusive club of basketball athletes who have played in five Olympic games. That group of eight athletes in all features U.S. basketball legend Teresa Edwards, who won four Olympic golds and one bronze with Team USA.
But the duo are also within reach making history by becoming the first basketball athletes to win five Olympic golds. There are four other Olympians (in fencing and equestrian) who have taken home at least five golds in the same event or discipline.
Bird, who was named one of the Team USA’s flag bearers Wednesday, is already the most decorated FIBA athlete in the world with a combined nine Olympic and World Cup medals, one ahead of Taurasi and Edwards.
ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP
Basketball and UConn legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are joining an exclusive club of basketball athletes who have played in five Olympic games. That group of eight athletes in all features U.S. basketball legend Teresa Edwards, who won four Olympic golds and one bronze with Team USA.
But the duo are also within reach making history by becoming the first basketball athletes to win five Olympic golds. There are four other Olympians (in fencing and equestrian) who have taken home at least five golds in the same event or discipline.
Bird, who was named one of the Team USA’s flag bearers Wednesday, is already the most decorated FIBA athlete in the world with a combined nine Olympic and World Cup medals, one ahead of Taurasi and Edwards.
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
U.S. Olympians don’t just take care of business on the international stage but domestically as well.
Eleven players in the program’s history, including four on the current Olympic team, have won an Olympic gold, FIBA World Cup gold, WNBA title and NCAA championship, including Bird, Stewart, Taurasi, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Cynthia Cooper, Asjha Jones, Brittney Griner, Maya Moore, Sheryl Swoopes and Kara Wolters.
U.S. Olympians don’t just take care of business on the international stage but domestically as well.
Eleven players in the program’s history, including four on the current Olympic team, have won an Olympic gold, FIBA World Cup gold, WNBA title and NCAA championship, including Bird, Stewart, Taurasi, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Cynthia Cooper, Asjha Jones, Brittney Griner, Maya Moore, Sheryl Swoopes and Kara Wolters.
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
Eric Gay
Bird and Taurasi aren’t the only frequent medalists on the squad. The 12 members of the U.S. Olympic roster collectively hold 60 gold medals in major international tournaments (three of which are in 3x3 events).
This will be the fourth and third Olympics for Sylvia Fowles and Tina Charles, respectively, and both have winning experience at the World Cup (three for Charles, one for Fowles). Griner and Stewart are also one-time Olympic and two-time World Cup gold medalists.
Even Olympic newcomers Loyd and Wilson have won gold before at the 2018 World Cup, while Atkins, Collier and Skylar Diggins-Smith took home gold in 3x3 events, youth tournaments or the FIBA AmeriCup. Chelsea Gray is the only Olympian on the roster without a gold medal to her name — yet.
Eric Gay
Bird and Taurasi aren’t the only frequent medalists on the squad. The 12 members of the U.S. Olympic roster collectively hold 60 gold medals in major international tournaments (three of which are in 3x3 events).
This will be the fourth and third Olympics for Sylvia Fowles and Tina Charles, respectively, and both have winning experience at the World Cup (three for Charles, one for Fowles). Griner and Stewart are also one-time Olympic and two-time World Cup gold medalists.
Even Olympic newcomers Loyd and Wilson have won gold before at the 2018 World Cup, while Atkins, Collier and Skylar Diggins-Smith took home gold in 3x3 events, youth tournaments or the FIBA AmeriCup. Chelsea Gray is the only Olympian on the roster without a gold medal to her name — yet.
Storm commemorates 2020 WNBA championship with President Joe Biden at White House
Nick Wass
The improbable happened last week during the U.S. Olympic team’s training camp in Las Vegas when the star-studded roster lost back-to-back exhibition games, first against the WNBA All-Stars (less surprising) and two days later against Australia minus Liz Cambage (more surprising). The national team hadn’t lost consecutive exhibitions since 2011 and is now 200-18 overall in exhibitions since the 1995-96 national team tour leading into the Atlanta Games.
Should American fans be worried about the U.S. Olympic team? Probably not. Team USA looked much more like itself when it breezed past Nigeria in its third and final tune-up before heading to Tokyo and is already using that momentum to ensure the squad peaks at the right time and adds to its history of dominance.
“Obviously we lost those two games back to back, which nobody wanted to do,” Bird said Wednesday. “But at the same time, I think it taught us some things, we learned some things, and we’re going to use that in this week of practice and try to get better every day. But the mood’s been great. If anything, those losses could end up being our biggest wins, if you will.”
Nick Wass
The improbable happened last week during the U.S. Olympic team’s training camp in Las Vegas when the star-studded roster lost back-to-back exhibition games, first against the WNBA All-Stars (less surprising) and two days later against Australia minus Liz Cambage (more surprising). The national team hadn’t lost consecutive exhibitions since 2011 and is now 200-18 overall in exhibitions since the 1995-96 national team tour leading into the Atlanta Games.
Should American fans be worried about the U.S. Olympic team? Probably not. Team USA looked much more like itself when it breezed past Nigeria in its third and final tune-up before heading to Tokyo and is already using that momentum to ensure the squad peaks at the right time and adds to its history of dominance.
“Obviously we lost those two games back to back, which nobody wanted to do,” Bird said Wednesday. “But at the same time, I think it taught us some things, we learned some things, and we’re going to use that in this week of practice and try to get better every day. But the mood’s been great. If anything, those losses could end up being our biggest wins, if you will.”
WASHINGTON — Before leaving the nation’s capital, the Storm stopped by the White House on Monday, marking a return to normalcy when sports teams regularly received invitations to celebrate championships and their athletic achievements.
President Joe Biden hosted an entourage led by Storm captains Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart and the team’s majority owners Ginny Gilder, Lisa Brummel and Dawn Trudeau.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was also in attendance during the 20-minute ceremony inside the East Room, which commemorated Seattle’s 2020 WNBA championship, the fourth in franchise history.
“Any time you get to go the White House, it’s something where you’re being appreciated and you’re being able to meet the President and the first lady,” Stewart said. “For us, it’s also closes the chapter of the 2020 season, because this is the last thing that we’re doing to really acknowledge that.”
Bird added: “I think for a very long time, up until 2016, going to the White House was an honor. It wasn’t necessarily political. It was to meet the president of the United States. The person who holds that office acknowledging your team’s success.
“It was an incredible honor. Even when you watch a movie like ‘Forrest Gump,’ I’m dating myself a little bit, you understand in that movie what an incredible honor it was. It wasn’t political. I think that all shifted in 2016.”
Sports teams began visiting the White House in 1865 when President Andrew Johnson welcomed amateur baseball teams Washington Nationals and Brooklyn Atlantics.
During Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s, it became standard script for championship sports teams to annually visit the White House for a ceremonial photo opportunity that included an exchange of team jerseys and lighthearted banter with the President.
In the past few decades, the tradition became more political, as various players declined invitations due to philosophical or ethical differences with whoever occupied the Oval Office.
Michael Jordan, Tom Brady and Larry Bird ducked out of White House visits for various reasons.
But in 2012, Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Matt Birk, an opponent of abortion rights, and Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, an avid backer of the conservative Tea Party, refused to accompany their teams to visit President Barack Obama explicitly because of their politics.
During Donald Trump’s presidential tenure, the tradition became a political litmus test due to a variety of issues, not excluding his hard stance and public feuds with many athletes, including former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick and soccer star Megan Rapinoe, who plays for OL Reign and is engaged to Bird.
“A visit to the White House, and I’ve been lucky to go two times before, has always been a tremendous honor to be invited,” said Bird, who visited the White House after winning an NCAA women’s basketball title with the Connecticut Huskies and in 2010 following the Storm’s second WNBA championship. “It’s sad in a way that no WNBA team has been invited in the last couple of years, and we know why. It’s nice to have a President in the office who’s going to recognize women and their success.”
Trump received visits from the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, World Series champion Houston Astros, Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins and NCAA football champions Alabama and Clemson.
However, no WNBA or NBA team has visited the White House since the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, the last year Obama was in office.
It’s not surprising the Storm received a White House invitation from Biden considering last year the team made the unorthodox decision to endorse him during his presidential bid.
The WNBA also dived into the 2020 election and backed Democratic Georgia senator Raphael Warnock in his successful bid to unseat incumbent Kelly Loeffler, who at the time was co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.
Quinn said she hopes the Storm’s White House visit is the first of many.
“We’re the first WNBA team that has been her in a while,” Quinn said. “Obviously, with the climate of our world and the change of administration hopefully we are moving in the right direction as far as a people towards more peace, more equality. This past couple of years has amplified a lot of things that may be wrong with our world, but there’s hope in this administration.
“Overall, it’s a great honor to be back at the White House to honor our 2020 team. I’m excited about it. It’s been a grind on this road trip, but it’s something that you’ll always remember. I think it’s important for everyone.”
The Storm (18-7) is locked in a three-way battle for the the top of the WNBA standings with the Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun, which both are 17-6.
Seattle, which beat the Washington Mystics 85-78 on Sunday, concludes a five-game road trip on Tuesday against the Minnesota Lynx.
“This White House trip really came quick and out of nowhere in terms of planning, but it’s on brand with this road trip and our season so far,” Quinn said. “A lot of curveballs and a lot of different things happening this year.
“But just like everything, we stay the course and fight through adversity and try to push through. And let’s be real, when the President calls, you find a way to make it happen.”
