President Joe Biden is set to welcome the 2024 NCAA basketball champions, South Carolina and Connecticut, to the White House on Tuesday to commemorate their recent national titles. South Carolina’s women’s team achieved a remarkable 38-0 record, becoming only the fifth women’s program in NCAA history to go undefeated. Led by head coach Dawn Staley, this marked the Gamecocks’ third championship win since 2017. On the other hand, UConn’s men’s team, coached by Dan Hurley, secured their second consecutive title with a 37-3 record.
In separate ceremonies in the East Room, each team will be honored for their outstanding achievements. Despite South Carolina losing all five starters from the previous year’s Final Four team, they managed to dominate the season, topping the nation in scoring defense, margin of victory, and blocked shots. For UConn, this victory marked the school’s sixth men’s national title, joining elite company such as the 2006-07 Florida Gators and the 1991-92 Duke Blue Devils as the only teams to repeat since John Wooden’s UCLA dynasty.
This event will mark South Carolina’s first visit to the White House, as they did not attend after their championships in 2017 and 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris had previously met with the South Carolina team during a visit to Columbia earlier in the year. Dawn Staley, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and former coach of the U.S. women’s basketball team, recently represented the U.S. at the Paris Olympics as part of the presidential delegation.
President Biden had previously hosted UConn at the White House last year following their fifth championship win, continuing the tradition of honoring outstanding collegiate basketball teams for their exceptional accomplishments on and off the court.
