LSU women shouldn’t have to share the White House with Iowa. Jill Biden goofed | Opinion

Can we all agree, Louisiana State University’s fight with Jill Biden gave an unnecessary black eye to women’s college basketball?

The last thing the game needs is a beef between the first lady and the LSU women’s basketball team. The Tigers’ spirited NCAA championship game with Iowa drew 9.9 million television viewers, an all-time high for the women’s national title game.

A trip to the White House should be reserved for champions. The first lady should know this. But in my view, Biden’s invite to the Oval Office for women’s national runner-up Iowa wasn’t malicious.

Still, LSU, the newly crowned national champions, have the right to be salty.

The disrespect.

LSU player Angel Reese won’t accept Biden’s apology for also extending an invitation to the Hawkeyes and their star guard Caitlin Clark.

And that’s understandable. Reese and her teammates earned the long-standing right to take center stage at the White House and meet with President Joe Biden alone.

But the Tigers should set aside their collective outrage and make the customary trip to the nation’s capital. Head coach Kim Mulkey wants to. LSU deserves the recognition for its talent, flair and passion for the game.

LSU should not have to share the spotlight with Iowa or answer silly questions about Biden’s faux pas, which she rightly walked back.