After the Baylor Lady Bears won their first NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2005, the parade through downtown Waco they were treated to soon after they returned home was just one of the honors they received.

On July 20, 2005, President George W. Bush welcomed Coach Kim Mulkey and the Lady Bears to the White House. During the Rose Garden ceremony Bush said, “It is my honor to welcome some highly successful women from the neighborhood. First, I want to congratulate the coach. She obviously knows what she’s doing. But I love her spirit. I love her can-do spirit that says we’re going to win, and we’re proud to win.”

POSTSCRIPT: The 2012 NCAA champion Lady Bears made their own trip to the White House on July 18, 2012, to meet President Obama. Here’s the video of that historic meeting.