    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [May 15, 2000]
    [Pages 934-936]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the 1999 Women's National Basketball Association Champion
    Houston Comets
    May 15, 2000

         The President. Please be seated. Good afternoon, and welcome to the
    Rose Garden. I want to thank the Marine Brass for playing for us and
    bringing us in, and also thank three Members from the Texas delegation
    for being here: Representative Ken Bentsen,
    Representative

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    Sheila Jackson Lee, and Representative
    Gene Green, thank you for coming.
        I want to welcome the president of the WNBA, Val Ackerman; Coach Chancellor; and
    Leslie and Nanci Alexander. And I know we have all the team here. Sheryl
    Swoopes was here in April of 1993 with the
    Lady Raiders of Texas Tech. How about that? I remember that.
        And I want to say a special word of welcome to Loretta
    Perrot, sister of Kim Perrot. I know we're
    all glad that she's here with the team today, and I welcome her.
        We have a lot of other distinguished athletes and sports figures in
    the crowd today, as well as some students from Ben Murch Elementary
    School, the DC city public school champions. Welcome.
        Today we're here to celebrate the team that refuses to lose, the
    Houston Comets. Three years ago I had the privilege of speaking with
    your team after you had won the first championship, the first in WNBA
    history. In 1998 you took the crown again. And this season, with your
    victory over the Liberty, you're at the top again, joining the ranks of
    Bill Russell's Celtics and Michael
    Jordan's Bulls, becoming only the fourth
    franchise in the history of basketball to win three titles in a row. I
    have--yes, give them another hand. [Applause] That's good.
        Some of you may know, I'm a modestly fanatic basketball fan, and I
    follow the WNBA every season. And I am delighted by the continuing
    progress in both the great quality of play and the enthusiasm of the
    fans, and I think it's only going to get better and better and better.
        I want to say, too, I watched the final series. I saw some or all of
    every one of those games. And I was impressed by the teamwork, as well
    as the star work. I was pretty impressed that in the last game,
    Cynthia and Sheryl
    scored 20 of the first 22 points. I need some people like that on my
    team from time to time around here. [Laughter]
        And I want to say also, though, you don't win three times in a row
    unless you have a team, unless everybody has a role to play and
    everybody plays it, and unless people understand that they all do better
    when they help each other. And that's the sort of spirit that we need
    more of, indeed, in more other teams in our country and in running our
    communities and our Nation.
        Great basketball teams are also led by great coaches. Coach Van
    Chancellor has raised the standard of
    excellence in women's basketball. And in return, he's been named Coach
    of the Year three times in a row. I know, because of the loss of Kim,
    this has not been an easy year for this team. Adversity breaks some
    people. It caused you to break records. You should all be proud of that
    as well.
        Your team has taught America a lot, not just about the game at which
    you excel but about courage and perseverance, self-confidence and
    teamwork. It's no wonder so many young girls are now following your lead
    in taking up basketball. A new generation of women are watching,
    learning, developing better skills, and dreaming loftier dreams.
        Congratulations on a well-deserved victory, and thank you for
    setting an example for all of us to follow.
        And now, I'd like to introduce the president of the WNBA, Val
    Ackerman. Val.

     [At this point, Ms. Ackerman and Coach Van
    Chancellor made brief remarks. Players
    Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson then
    presented a jersey to the President.]

         The President. Well, thank you very much for the unisex jersey
    here. [Laughter] I'll fight with Hillary over the right to wear it.
        Thank you again for your example. I did want to say this about your
    coach: When I first started watching him on
    television, you know, when I saw him working with them and I thought
    about his roots, I thought, it's kind of nice to have a guy winning in
    the WNBA who speaks without an accent. [Laughter] Maybe it's just my
    ear, but it sounds good to me.
         Coach Chancellor. We're from the same
    area.
         The President. I know. That's what I was meaning, you know. You may
    get mine back, before I know it. [Laughter]
        And thank you, Cynthia, for your remarks.
    And I thank all of you. And I will wear this when I work out, and I'll
    always remember this day. I wish you many more championships. We have a
    lot of happy moments here in the Rose Garden, but I have a feeling that
    this is one I'll remember for a good long while.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:06 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Houston Comets President Leslie

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    L. Alexander and his wife, Nanci; and Loretta Perrot, sister of team
    member Kim Perrot, who died of cancer.