    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [May 16, 2006]
    [Pages 938-940]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Honoring the 2005 Women's National Basketball Association
    Champion Sacramento Monarchs
    May 16, 2006

        Thank you. Please be seated. It is a beautiful day to welcome the
    Monarchs to the White House. I want to first congratulate the 2005 WNBA
    champs, the Sacramento Monarchs. We're glad you're here. Thanks for
    coming, and congratulations to you.
        I was thinking about a little one-on-one here on the South Lawn.
    [Laughter] Then I reconsidered. Laura said, ``You
    might as well stick to your mountain bike; don't try to take on these
    athletes.'' But we're really glad you're here.
        I want to congratulate Coach John Whisenant on being such a fine coach. Congratulations, sir. Glad
    you're here. Thanks for coming. Glad you brought Joyce. Welcome.
        I want to thank my Cabinet Secretary, Alphonso Jackson. Welcome, A.J.--thanks for coming. I knew you were
    a sports fan, and I knew you appreciated excellence on the court, so I'm
    not surprised you're here.
        I want to thank Doris Matsui,
    Congresswoman Matsui--thanks for coming--from the Sacramento area, as
    well as John Doolittle. I really
    appreciate you all being here. Thanks for taking time to honor these
    champs.
        I appreciate Donna Orender, the president
    of the WNBA. Thanks for coming. Proud you're here. I want to thank John
    Thomas of Maloof Sports & Entertainment for
    coming. John, congratulations for putting together a good franchise.
    Good job. It's not easy to field a championship team, but you've done
    so.
        I'm also proud to be up here with Yolanda Griffith, the WNBA Finals MVP. Congratulations, Yolanda--
    [applause]--popular member of the team, as you can tell. I want to
    welcome all the other Monarch players who are here. I'm honored to be up
    here with you. I can't thank you enough for coming by to give us a
    chance to pay a proper tribute to your championship run.
        I also want to welcome members of the local Junior WNBA program;
    glad you all are here. Welcome to the White House. This is the--
    interestingly enough, the 10th year of the WNBA, and I don't know if you
    can remember, but I certainly do, when a lot of people were speculating
    that the WNBA wouldn't last. ``They couldn't possibly make it,'' they
    were saying. Well the truth of the matter is, the WNBA has not only
    lasted; it's thrived. And American sports are better for it.
        A lot of fans are coming to see the games, which is a good
    indication. The WNBA broadcasts are seen now in 193

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    countries in 31 different languages. That means a lot of people are
    paying attention to what you're doing on the courts. And we appreciate
    it.

        And I appreciate the team. I appreciate a team that's figured out
    how to, kind of, meld stars together for the common good. You know,
    there are a lot of teams with stars on them. I'm sure you've run into a
    few of them with some pretty good stars. But a lot of times, teams
    aren't able to work together, and this team was able to do so. They were
    tough on defense. They had an attitude--a positive attitude all the way
    throughout the season. In other words, they didn't think they could get
    beat. As a matter of fact, they only lost two games on their home court.
    It's a pretty good--it's called the home court advantage--[laughter]--15
    and 2 in Arco Arena.

        I know the city of Sacramento is really proud of you, and I know
    that if the mayor were here and the citizens
    that are, kind of, serving the folks of Sacramento were here, they'd be
    saying, ``We really like the Monarchs. We're really proud that you
    brought a championship team to our city.''

        So one of the things I'd like to say to you is thanks for being team
    players; thanks for setting high goals; and thanks for working together
    to achieve those goals.

        I also appreciate the fact that you've got players from China and
    Portugal and Mali, as well as a lot of different States here in the
    United States. I think it's pretty neat, isn't it, for people who--from
    different backgrounds, different cultures are able to figure out a way
    to win. I think it's a great example for the world; I really do. I think
    it's important for people to come together for a common cause. I know
    you view yourself only as athletes, but I view you as diplomats as well.

        I also want to thank you for the example you've set. It's one thing
    to be called champs on the court; it's another thing to be called champs
    in life. One of the things you've done is you've set a great example for
    young women athletes. As the father of twin
    daughters who had trouble finding the
    backboard, I might add--[laughter]--sorry, girls--I love the fact that
    there are role models, though, for young women, that somebody can look
    up to and say, ``Gosh, I want to be like her. I want to realize my
    dreams by being like Yolanda.''
        So it's great to be able to play basketball as well as you play, but
    it's also really important to know that you're setting a good example
    for people watching your every move.
        I was impressed by the fact that you're working on Read to Achieve.
    You know, I oftentimes call on fellow citizens to serve our country by
    helping somebody else. One way you can really help somebody is to teach
    somebody to read. What a wonderful gift. And the fact that pro athletes
    were willing to take time out of your busy schedule to help inspire a
    young reader means a lot to the country.
        I appreciate very much your honoring breast cancer survivors,
    helping to lift somebody's spirits. Thanks for entering the annual Race
    for the Cure. I used to be able to run. [Laughter] But thanks for
    running while you're young. I know you didn't have to do it, but you set
    a good sign for people. All in all, I'm honored to be up here with some
    champs. It's a delight to welcome you here to the White House.
        May God bless you and your families, and may God continue to bless
    our country. Welcome.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:27 p.m. in the East Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to John Whisenant, head coach,
    Sacramento Monarchs, and his wife, Joyce; John Thomas, president,
    Sacramento Monarchs; and Mayor Heather Fargo of Sacramento, CA.

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