JIM WATSON / AFP - Getty Images

President Barack Obama speaks with Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson, far right, during a Washington-Tulsa WNBA game on Sunday. Obama's daughter, Sasha, is in the middle.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama checked out the WNBA's Washington Mystics on Sunday after spending the morning shooting some hoops himself.

Obama, his daughter Sasha and a friend of Sasha's had courtside seats for a women's basketball game between the Mystics and the Tulsa Shock at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington. Sasha and her friend, whom the White House declined to identify, both wore Mystics jerseys.

The crowd at the arena roared when the scoreboard showed the president's arrival. Obama chatted during the game with Mystics owner Ted Leonsis and team president Sheila Johnson.

Obama and his party left the arena a few minutes before the end of the game, which the Mystics won, 87-62.

After the game, Mystics player Marissa Coleman told reporters: "The only two times I've noticed who was courtside was when LeBron (James) was here, and obviously today. And today's was even worse. It's just kind of a surreal thing to look over and see the President of the United States sitting courtside."

Earlier Sunday, Obama played basketball against an Army team at Fort McNair in the District of Columbia.

Obama has attended basketball games at the Verizon Center before. In January he had front-row seats for a Duke-Georgetown game, and even sat in with CBS' announcers for about seven minutes. Last year, he saw his hometown Chicago Bulls lose a game to the Washington Wizards at the arena.

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