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THE WHITE HOUSE

                        Office of the Press Secretary 
                      (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts)

For Immediate Release August 30, 1997

                           REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT 
                     IN TELEPHONE CALL TO WNBA CHAMPIONS 
                              THE HOUSTON COMETS

6:50 P.M. EDT

COACH CHANCELLOR: Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: Coach, congratulations.

COACH CHANCELLOR: Well, thank you very much. You know, we're from neighboring states. I'm a Mississippi boy.

THE PRESIDENT: You are?

COACH CHANCELLOR: Yes, I am.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, double congratulations.

COACH CHANCELLOR: Well, thank you very much.

THE PRESIDENT: I'll tell you what, I've followed the season this year, I've watched several games on television, I've really enjoyed it, and I had a chance to get to know some of the players in the league when I went running with the Women's Olympic Team a couple of years ago, and I think it's just been a great thing. I hope it'll be a success and go forward, and you had a great season and a great team and you had a good game tonight.

COACH CHANCELLOR: Well, thank you very much. I do appreciate you taking the time to call our locker room. That means a lot to the women of this team and to this coaching staff.

THE PRESIDENT: Can you hear me?

COACH CHANCELLOR: Yes, I can hear you.

THE PRESIDENT: We're on a cell phone, but I think we're doing all right. I can hear you fine.

COACH CHANCELLOR: Yes. I do appreciate your support of women's athletics in general.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm strongly supportive of it, and I hope that -- like I said, I want you to stay with it and I'll be supporting you all the way, and congratulate the players for me.

COACH CHANCELLOR: I will. They're all in the dressing room and they will be honored that you have called us.

THE PRESIDENT: Cynthia had a great game, and any of us who has ever been through a childbirth were awful impressed when Sheryl Swoopes came back to play so quickly.

COACH CHANCELLOR: Yes. I'm amazed that she was able to have a child and come back and play for us. She just had some great games. This has just been a total team effort for us.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Well, give them my best and I hope to see you up here someday pretty soon.

COACH CHANCELLOR: Okay. I would love to come up there.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

COACH CHANCELLOR: And thank you very much for calling us. I'm very honored.

THE PRESIDENT: Bye-bye.

COACH CHANCELLOR: Thank you.

END 6:52 P.M. EDT