The White House incident. During President Biden’s speech, one of the NCAA basketball champions collapsed
US President Joe Biden was forced to interrupt a televised speech at the White House after a player from the Louisiana State University “Tigers” women’s basketball team collapsed on stage.
The incident occurred during a meeting between the head of state and the basketball champions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Sama Smith lost one of the “Tigers” as she congratulated them on winning the NCAA Final Fours title over the Iowa Hawkeyes 102:85. Almost immediately, the White House staff rushed to the podium and the broadcast was interrupted. However, the sound continued for a moment, until Biden’s words “Kids, it’s all right” could be heard.
The White House medical staff provided first aid to the fainted woman, which brought her back to consciousness. Then the girl was removed from the room in a wheelchair. After this incident, everyone was more interested not in the routine phrases of the president, but in the health of the basketball player. Fortunately, Sa’Maya recovered quickly, as reported live by the “Tigers” coach, 62-year-old Kimberly Mulkey.
“For those of you concerned, Samaya is fine. I assure you. She’s a little embarrassed right now. She wants to be with us, but she needs an audition.
After recovering, Sa’Maya gave a short interview to WBRZ Sports:
“I feel so much better… I remember having time to say something like, ‘I think I’m going to pass out’ before passing out. What’s going on with me? It’s so hot and we have to stand for a long time.”
After the concert, the girl smiled shyly, joined the team, and even took a photo with a fan. She received a special gift from Biden – an old basketball signed by the President.
Sa’Maya Smith posted 2 points and 2 rebounds in the NCAA Finals, though she has a lot of potential. The broadcast of the final match between the teams from Louisiana and Iowa was watched by 9.9 million viewers (although after the incident in the White House this figure already reached 12.6 million), which is an absolute record for women’s basketball.
