Obama, as father of two ‘tall girls,’ welcomes UConn Lady Huskies to the White House

President Barack Obama hosted the 2010 NCAA women’s basketball champions, the University of Connecticut’s Lady Huskies, at the White House on Monday, where he thanked them for being role models for his two young daughters, Sasha and Malia.

“As the father of two tall girls who are also very cute and also do great work in the classroom — I’m just so glad that they’ve got all of you to look up to.”

{mosads}Obama also told the athletes that he followed their season during his morning workouts, when he watches ESPN’s SportsCenter with first lady Michelle Obama. The president said he would tell his wife, over and over, that the Lady Huskies were “the best team in all of sports, any sport, any gender, by far.”

This was the Huskies’ second trip to the White House in as many years; they’d visited 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. last spring after they won the 2009 title. During that trip, Obama said he played some hoops with the team on the White House basketball court. The president declined to say who won. 

The East Room ceremony was attended by Connecticut Sens. Chris Dodd (D) and Joe Lieberman (I), as well as Reps. John Larson (D) and Joe Courtney (D).