WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is honoring the 2014 WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury for not only being outstanding players, but role models to girls.
Obama said the team and other women across the WNBA are "changing the way that young girls- including my daughters- see themselves."
Phoenix won its third WNBA title last September with a three-game sweep of the Chicago Sky in the finals.
Obama also recognized the team for its service in the Phoenix community, including running basketball clinics for underserved children and adopting high school basketball teams to mentor each year.
Phoenix swept Los Angeles in the playoff's opening round and knocked off Minnesota in the conference finals before sweeping Chicago. The Mercury finished the regular season 29-5 to break the league record for victories.