Seattle Storm celebrate 2020 WNBA Championship with White House visit

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Seattle Storm visit the White House to celebrate their 2020 championship

The Seattle Storm visited the White House on Monday (ET) to celebrate their 2020 WNBA Championship. 

The squad also included three players who recently won Gold at the Tokyo Olympics in Sue Bird, Jewell Lloyd and Breanna Stewart.

US Presidents have typically hosted champions of major college tournaments and professional leagues. However, this visit marked the first time that an NBA or WNBA team has visited the White House since the Cleveland Cavaliers were hosted by Barack Obama in 2016.

The 2020 WNBA Championship was the Storm's fourth title in franchise history and the second in three years, tying them with the Minnesota Lynx and the Houston Comets for the most all-time. 

“What makes this team remarkable is they don’t just win games, they change lives,” President Joe 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.”

In the 2020 season, which was played in a bubble at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, the Seattle franchise finished the 22 games tied for the best record at 18-4. As the second of the top two teams, the Storm received a bye to the semifinals of the playoffs.

Overall, they finished the 2020 WNBA postseason unbeaten as they swept the Minnesota Lynx 3-0 in the semifinals and the Las Vegas Aces 3-0 in the WNBA Finals. 

Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder also highlighted the team's activism and the WNBA's efforts and its contribution to Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff winning their Senate campaigns in Georgia.

Warnock defeated Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was at the time of the election the co-owner of the Atlanta Dream. Loeffler, who was considered an ally of former US President Donald Trump, faced criticism from the WNBA players for her remarks on the last year's Black Lives Matter movement.

Earlier this year, Loeffler and her fellow owners sold the team.

“It feels good to be back in this place and have our achievements celebrated in this way,” Bird said in brief remarks at the ceremony.

In the midst of the five-game road trip, the Storm - the winners of the WNBA's inaugural Commissioner's Cup - with their 17-6 record are currently third in the overall standings for the 2021 season - the WNBA's 25th. 

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