Baylor’s Mulkey would welcome White House visit
Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey is emotional after winning the national championship because of Lauren Cox who was injured in the third quarter. (1:39)
NEW YORK — Coach Kim Mulkey would welcome an invitation to the White House, if President Donald Trump were to offer it to Baylor.
The president tweeted out his congratulations to the Lady Bears on Monday after they beat Notre Dame in a thrilling championship game the night before.
“Congratulations to the Baylor Lady Bears on their amazing win last night against Notre Dame to become the 2019 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champions!” Trump said.
After a series of heartbreaks and six seasons ending in disappointment, Baylor and coach Kim Mulkey returned to the top with their third NCAA title.
Mulkey, who visited the White House in 2005 and 2012 when her Baylor team won the title those years, said a trip to the White House isn’t about politics.
“I’ve been every time for every president,” she told the AP at the WNBA draft Wednesday night. “It’s not a political issue for me. It’s an honor to go to the White House. I want everyone to say they went to the White House. Not many people can say that. I hope [the] Virginia men go and I can meet [coach] Tony Bennett.
“We were honored when President Bush was in the office. We were honored when Barack Obama was in the office. We’d be honored if Donald Trump invited us. With politics aside, we should go to say we went to the White House.”
Baylor would be the first women’s college basketball champion to visit the White House under Trump, if offered.