PRESIDENT HONORS 08 WNBA CHAMP DETROIT SHOCK AT WHITE HOUSE

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HONORING THE 2008 WNBA CHAMPIONS THE DETROIT SHOCK

Office of the Press Secretary

THE WHITE HOUSE

South Portico

2:50 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hey, guys. Hello, hello, hello. (Applause.) Please, everybody, be seated. Be seated. Well, welcome to the White House, everybody. And we are so pleased to have the Detroit Shock here. We want to congratulate them and all your fans for your third WNBA Championship in six years. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)

We've got some special fans from Capitol Hill here who take great pride in Detroit -- Senator Carl Levin is in the house. (Applause.) Representative Sandy Levin is in the house. (Applause.) And Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick is in the house. (Applause.)

I want to thank Donna Orender, the president of the WNBA, who's here today. Donna is right back -- there she is, right there. (Applause.) Congratulations on the success of this league and the inspiration it provides to young women everywhere.