Jill Biden needs to apologize to the LSU women's hoops team ASAP ... so says Sherri Shepherd, who tells TMZ Sports the first lady should have never invited Iowa to come along with the champion Tigers for a celebration at the White House.
The television personality made her feelings loud and clear to us about the issue while out in New York City this week ... explaining she thinks Biden only handed out the invite in an effort to earn future votes for Joe Biden.
"You never invite the losing team to the White House," Shepherd said after Jill had opened the White House doors to both LSU and Iowa following their championship game on Sunday night.
"I know you want Iowa to vote for your husband, but stop it!" she added. "Stop it, Dr. Biden."
The topic has been extremely polarizing ever since Jill revealed she'd like to host both teams ... with LSU star Angel Reese laughing off the notion -- and even later saying she's now considering not going for a White House celebration over it all.
"I just know if the roles were reversed, it wouldn't be the same," Reese said on 'I Am Athlete.' "If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House."
Shepherd clearly believes Reese has every right to be peeved ... agreeing with the Tigers forward and saying, "If it was the other way around, it would never be this situation."
Of course, Biden's Press Secretary tried to apologize for FLOTUS following the backlash ... saying Jill was simply trying to applaud "how far women have advanced in sports since the passing of Title IX" and "the historic game and all women athletes."
Caitlin Clark shares on OTL that she doesn't want to go to the White House despite Jill Biden's stated interest in hosting her and the Iowa team.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 4, 2023
"I don't think runner-ups usually go to the White House. I think LSU should you know enjoy that moment for them" pic.twitter.com/3SDePqXUll
For their part, Iowa said it never received a formal invitation from the Bidens ... and its star guard, Caitlin Clark, seemed to say she wouldn't want to go even if the invite had come.
"I don't think runner-ups usually go to the White House," Clark said earlier this week. "I think LSU should, you know, enjoy that moment for them."