March Madness Comes to the 威尼斯人娱乐场
By Angela Tudico | 威尼斯人娱乐场 News
NCAA Basketball Championship trophies, 2002 and 2006, on display at the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Museum in Washington, DC. Photo by Susana Raab.
WASHINGTON, March 10, 2023 鈥� Two NCAA Basketball Championship trophies are now on view at the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Museum as part of the exhibit , and just in time for March Madness.
The trophies, which will be on display for several months, are the results of two successful tournament runs by University of Maryland basketball teams鈥攖he men鈥檚 team in 2002 and the women鈥檚 team in 2006.
After making it to the Final Four in 2001, head coach Gary Williams led the men's basketball team to capture the 2002 NCAA title by defeating Indiana University, 64-52.
Under current head coach Brenda Frese, the Maryland women's basketball team won the NCAA championship four years later when they defeated Duke University in a thrilling overtime battle, 78-75. The team finished the year ranked number one in the nation for the first time in the program's history.
The All American exhibit looks at the impact Title IX had on women's sports in creating opportunities for women to compete in college and professional athletics, and these two trophies help tell that story.
鈥淢any women's and men's NCAA champion teams visit the White House, often leaving a gift like the University of Wisconsin-Madison women's hockey jersey given to President Bush in 2007 that is featured in All American,鈥� said exhibit curator Alice Kamps. 鈥淭he University of Maryland trophies, like the other items on display, are a testament to the importance of sports in our national life.鈥�
The All American exhibit is on view through January 7, 2024, in the Lawrence F. O鈥橞rien Gallery of the in Washington, DC.
Admission to the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Museum is always free, and reservations are not required.
All American: The Power of Sports is made possible in part by the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation through the generous support of AT&T, AARP, and Mars, Incorporated. Additional support provided by HISTORY庐 and the Lawrence F. O鈥橞rien Family.