The UConn men’s basketball team was honored at the White House on Friday by President Joseph Biden for winning the 2023 NCAA national championship.
It was the fifth time that the Huskies have visited the White House after winning a national championship.
The 1999 Huskies were honored by President Bill Clinton, the 2004 Huskies received an invitation from President George W. Bush, and President Barack Obama honored UConn in both 2011 and 2014.
“This team is proof that there’s no quit in UConn, just like there’s no quit in America. None,” Biden said. “There’s nothing we can’t do when we believe we can do it if we do it together. And that’s exactly what you all did. You stood up. And that’s what sports and this country is all about: possibilities. Possibilities.”
The Huskies (31-8) won the national championship on April 3 with a 76-59 win over San Diego State. UConn bounced Miami in the national semifinals, 72-59.

Members of the UConn men’s basketball flew to Washington on Friday to visit the White House and President Joseph Biden. The team posed for a photo at Tweed Airport in New Haven before flying to the capital. (Photo courtesy Avelo Airlines)
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.
