Ashley Judd and Aloe Blacc help the White House unveil its national suicide prevention strategy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Actor Ashley Judd and singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc, who both lost loved ones to suicide, on Tuesday helped the Biden administration promote its new national strategy to prevent suicide.

Judd's mother, country star Naomi Judd, died nearly two years ago. Blacc's frequent collaborator, Tim Bergling, died in 2018.

Both were on hand as Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, helped unveil the Democratic administration's blueprint for reducing suicides in the United States. Some 132 people a day kill themselves, he said.

“We’re here today because we know that we can and will change this,” Emhoff said. “Suicide is preventable.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

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Judd's mother had lived most of her 76 years with an untreated sickness and, on the day she died, “the disease of mental illness was lying to her," Ashley Judd said during a discussion moderated by Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy with Blacc and Shelby Rowe, executive director of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

“She deserved better,” Judd said about her mother. Judd said she also has suffered from depression and has had a different outcome because of treatment.

“I carry a message of hope,” she said.

Asked what people can do to help someone in crisis, Rowe said people shouldn't worry about “if you're saying the right thing. Just say something and show up.”

Blacc suggested that people offer a “moment of joy” when they do reach out, such as a memory that sparks laughter or a song. He also encouraged people to remember that they are “the light.”

“There's no such thing as too much love. Let's give as much as we can," he said, before he led the audience in singing the chorus from “This Little Light of Mine.”

Ashley Judd, right, sitting with Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, left, speaks during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Ashley Judd heads to her seat before the start of an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy speaks during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, left, sitting next to Ashley Judd, right, speaks during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc, right, sings during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. He is joined by, from left, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Ashley Judd, and Shelby Rowe, Executive Director of the Suicide Prevention Research Center. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc speaks, right, speaks during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. He is joined by, from left, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Ashley Judd, and Shelby Rowe, Executive Director of the Suicide Prevention Research Center. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc speaks during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff speaks during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Ashley Judd, left, listens to Shelby Rowe, right, Executive Director of the Suicide Prevention Research Center, during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Shelby Rowe, center, Executive Director of the Suicide Prevention Research Center, flanked by Ashley Judd, left, and singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc, right, finishes speaking during an event on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with notable suicide prevention advocates. The White House held the event on the day they released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to highlight efforts to tackle the mental health crisis and beat the overdose crisis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — More than three hours before Caitlin Clark made her WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever in an exhibition game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night, some fans among the sellout crowd were lined up outside the arena dressed in No. 22 University of Iowa jerseys.

Christina Edge, who lived in Iowa for 35 years before moving to the Dallas suburb of Rowlett three years ago, said arriving that early at the University of Texas-Arlington's College Park Center would increase her chances of landing a photo with the basketball phenomenon who was the two-time national player of the year with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

“It’s my birthday,” said Edge, who said her son gave her the ticket as a birthday gift, “and I just want a picture with her!” She carried a bright yellow posterboard sign advertising that plea.

Pailynn Amos, 9, was also outside the arena wearing a yellow Clark jersey with her own sign — “When I grow up I wanna be just like her.”

Rebecca Amos, Pailynn’s mother, made the approximately hour-long drive from the town of Ennis.

“I watched her (on TV) like crazy,” Rebecca said. “So, she (Pailynn) just kind of grew to her. Then we were like, ‘Wow, now she’s in Dallas.’ We could actually go see her!”

Clark received a rousing ovation before tipoff when introduced with Indiana’s starters.

The WNBA’s first preseason game was played the same night that the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks hosted the LA Clippers in Game 6 of a first-round playoff series about 20 miles away.

The exhibition game was the first of two for the Fever before Clark will make her regular-season debut on May 14 at the Connecticut Sun.

Clark, whose long-range shooting and spectacular passing made for must-see TV while taking Iowa to the last two NCAA women’s national title games, said after the morning shootaround she had no statistical goals for Friday’s game.

“Did you give it every single thing you had? I think that’s the biggest thing,” Clark said. “I want to step out onto the court, and then I want to leave the court tonight and feel like I played like Caitlin Clark’s played my entire life.”

The game sold out all 6,251 seats soon after it was announced on Dallas’ schedule, specifically requested by Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb soon after Clark declared in February she would leave college for the WNBA with one year of eligibility remaining. Indiana won the lottery for this year’s first pick last December.

A local television crew recorded the Fever’s arrival at DFW International Airport on Thursday. During Clark’s media session on Friday morning, she addressed the request to sign a couple's ultrasound picture.

“That was definitely a first,” she said with a laugh.

“I think it’s going to be loud tonight, probably the loudest preseason game I’ve ever been part of,” said Wings center Kalani Brown. “It’s really great that Caitlin’s bringing all this attention to women’s basketball, so I’m really grateful for that. It’s great for our game.”

Wings forward Maddy Segrist said, “Hopefully it’s not too many Indiana fans.”

“This is what women’s basketball has deserved for quite some time now,” said Fever center Aliyah Boston, last season’s WNBA rookie of the year and the women’s collegiate player of the year before Clark’s run. “It’s better late than never. I’m really excited for what’s to come for this league.”

The Wings last month said they had sold out their season-ticket allotment, which accounts for about 2,500 seats.

Indiana will return to College Park Center to play twice during the regular season, on July 17 in the last game before the WNBA’s nearly month-long Olympic hiatus and one day after the MLB All-Star Game is played at the Texas Rangers’ home stadium less than three miles away. The Fever also play there Sept. 1.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Pailynn Amos, center, holds a sign for Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark in front of her mother Rebecca Amos of Ennis, Texas, prior to an WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

CORRECTS TO ARLINGTON, TEXAS, NOT DALLAS - Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark talks to the media prior to playing an WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark warms up prior to an WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)