[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 20 (Monday, May 22, 2006)]
[Pages 939-940]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
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 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.
[[Page 940]]
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 Frago of Sacramento, CA.