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On Thursday, the Las Vegas Aces visited the White House for the second consecutive year to celebrate their 2023 WNBA championship. During the ceremony, U.S. President Joe Biden quipped about his desire to replicate the Aces' success.
Las Vegas, led by stars A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, defeated the New York Liberty 3-1 in last year's WNBA Finals. In doing so, the Aces became the first team to win consecutive titles in over 20 years.
The last franchise to achieve the milestone was the LA Sparks in 2001 and 2002, with the now-disbanded Houston Comets being the only other team to do so. The Comets won the WNBA's first four titles (1997 to 2000) upon the league's eight-team inception.
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As the WNBA's popularity continues to surge, Las Vegas has established itself as a modern-day powerhouse. On top of winning back-to-back championships, the franchise secured the best regular-season record in WNBA history last year (34-6).
Biden acknowledged the Aces' dominance since their 2018 relocation to Las Vegas. Afterward, the 81-year-old, who is seeking re-election in November following his 2020 presidential win, quipped that he wouldn't mind emulating their repeat success.
“The first WNBA team in over 20 years to win a title back-to-back. I kind of like that back-to-back stuff,” Biden said.
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Joe Biden praises growth of women's basketball during Las Vegas Aces' White House visit
During the Las Vegas Aces' White House visit, Joe Biden also touched on the ever-growing popularity of women's basketball. He noted that the past year has been “a banner year" for the sport.
The 2023 WNBA Finals averaged 728,000 viewers. Per ESPN, that marked the league's most-viewed finals in 20 years and a 36% increase from 2022.
Additionally, women's college basketball experienced a sharp viewership spike, with its 2024 national championship game drawing a record 24.1 million viewers.
Biden called on American basketball fans to continue supporting women's sports, so leagues like the WNBA can keep expanding and become profitable.
“It matters that the girls and women are finally seeing themselves represented, and it matters to all of America,” Biden said. “That’s why as a nation, we need to support women’s sports by showing up in person, watching on TV with more sponsorships and programming and helping grow the business of women’s sports.”
The WNBA is projected to continue breaking barriers and smashing viewership records during its 2024 season, which tips off on Tuesday. So, the league should be in store for a considerable expansion in the coming years.
