President Obama predicts a rematch between Baylor and Notre Dame
Last year, President Obama predicted Baylor would win the 2012 NCAA Women’s basketball tournament. The Lady Bears lived up to the billing, winning the national championship over Notre Dame, for a perfect 40-0 season. This year, the president is predicting a rematch and for Baylor to win the championship.
Joining Baylor and Notre Dame in his Final Four are California and UConn.
ESPN’s Andy Katz interview the president about his selections:
On Baylor’s dominance the last two years
President Obama: Well, they’re pretty spectacular. Obviously, you’ve got a Connecticut team that can make some pretty big claims when it comes to dominance of women’s basketball, but Baylor these last couple of years, and obviously Ms. Griner, has just been spectacular.
On Skylar Diggins
President Obama: Love Skylar’s game. She’s a great guard, a lot of poise, a lot of heart – a really, really impressive player.
On Delaware vs. Kentucky in the Bridgeport Regional
President Obama: Elena Delle Donne is a great player and obviously a wonderful person. But I think Kentucky is the better team.
On Baylor and Notre Dame advancing to title game
President Obama: So we’ve got a couple of all-Americans leading their teams, a guard and a center. I think it will be an interesting game, anything can happen. But in the end, I just think Baylor is too tough. I think Brittney ends up winning once again, and Baylor folks will be back in the White House and I’ll have a chance to greet them.
On what Griner has meant to the women’s game
President Obama: Women players have gotten so much better than they were even 10 years ago — the athleticism, the skill levels, and part of it is, you’re seeing how it’s impacting younger kids.
Sasha plays on her rec league team with Joe Biden’s granddaughter and a couple of other folks — the Vipers. They repeated, by the way, this year.
So what you’re seeing, I think is women’s athletics just taking it to a new level.
Check out the president’s brack:
The president’s ESPN Women’s Tournament Challenge bracket.
