And That’s What You Missed on the ESPYs

Courtesy of ESPN

The ESPYs, nicknamed the Oscars of Sports, annually recognizes individual and team achievements in sports.

If you didn’t watch the ceremony this year, the beginning of the show didn’t do the accomplishments of the athletes justice. The opening monologue from the host, Shane Gillis, was flat and filled with poor “jokes”, attempts at “edgieness,” and felt like a total airball. I’d much rather the show be hosted by an athlete, and one who doesn’t make ill comments in the name of “comedy.” Aside from that, the rest of the ceremony was filled with great moments. Here’s how this year’s ESPYs went down.

The Winners

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The first award presented was for the Best Championship Performance. The show gained my full attention again as in a category with Freddie Freeman, Steph Curry, and Rory McIlroy, the winner was the only woman nominated. The winner was none other than my favorite athlete of all time: Simone Biles. Biles was honored for her gold medal performance in the Olympic all-around final where she won her sixth gold medal. The GOAT also won Best Athlete in Women’s Sports.

Best Play was awarded to Saquon Barkley’s iconic backwards hurdle. Barkley, who was also named Best NFL Player, can do everything but better, backwards, and in cleats.

Tennis player Sloane Stephens won the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work with her Sloane Stephens Foundation which helps underprivileged youth both on and off the court, and gives kids education and tools to succeed in school and in tennis.

The Best Breakthrough Athlete was another one of my favorites, and someone I know many have come to love and know during the past year: Ilona Maher. Maher took the world by storm as a member of the first U.S. women’s rugby team to win an Olympic medal last year. Maher said, “It’s taken me seven years and two Olympics, but I finally broke through. I know it’s just me up here, but I’m a team athlete through and through, and my teammates are the reason I am the way I am, they truly are the reason I am up here on this stage.” She then used her stage time to promote rugby, as there is a Women’s Rugby World Cup, the biggest event in women’s rugby, taking place in about a month.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the first woman head coach to win the NCAA Division I volleyball title, won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. She coached the Nittany Lions to their eighth volleyball title while also battling breast cancer. ESPN partners with the V Foundation to fund support for cancer research, information on the foundation and how to donate can be found at v.org. 

The best women’s and men’s teams in college athletics were awarded the Capital One Cup, which awards the winning schools with $250,000 for their student athlete scholarship fund. For the women, North Carolina won after winning the NCAA title in both soccer and lacrosse. For the men, The Ohio State University won after winning the NCAA football championship. O-H!

Two sports legends who recently retired received the Icon Award: Alex Morgan and Diana Taurasi. Morgan took the field by storm and won two World Cup titles with the USWNT and two Olympic medals. Taurasi played in the WNBA for 20 seasons and won six consecutive gold medals with Team USA at the Olympics. Both athletes left their sports better than they found it and were the perfect winners for the Icon Award.

The Pat Tillman Award for Service was given to David Walters and Erin Regan. Both recipients are former college athletes, with Walters having been a swimmer at Texas and Regan having played soccer at Wake Forest. Both are first responders for Greater Los Angeles and went into action in the wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. “We recognize that this is not an individual award. It’s a team award,” Regan said.

The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes the best high school athletes. This year’s winners were Jane Hedengren, a cross country and track and field athlete committed to BYU, and Cameron Boozer, a basketball player committed to Duke.

From not knowing if she’d ever be able to do her sport again to winning three more Olympic medals, it only made sense that the Best Comeback Athlete would be Suni Lee. Lee brought Dr. Marcia Faustin, co-head team physician of USA women’s gymnastics, with her to the awards, and thanked her for her guidance and support in her acceptance speech.

The Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award recognizes young people who use a love of sports to improve their communities and rewards them with college scholarships and grants to support their work. This year, the award was given to Rishin Tandon, Maegha Ramanathan, and Ian White. Tandon created the Youth Eco Sports Scorecard, a tool to embed climate action into youth sports and help local organizations with climate readiness and sustainability. Ramanathan’s organization Girls For Sports expands access to sports to underserved girls and addresses gender equality in athletics. White is the founder and CEO of Bigger Than Sports which uses peer mentorship to help high school athletes chart paths beyond sports. 

Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame player Oscar Robertson won the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his fight to establish free agency in the NBA. The battle with NBA owners led to attacks on Robertson’s character, but even in the face of many hardships Robertson said he’d do it again. “It’s important to do the right thing, even if it comes at a personal sacrifice,” Robertson said.

After leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to an NBA championship title, the first for the team in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won Best Athlete in Men’s Sports and Best NBA Player.

The Best Record-Breaking Performance went to Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL’s new all-time leading scorer, beating Wayne Gretzky’s 31-year-old record. In his acceptance video, Ovechkin thanks his fans, family, coaches, teammates, the Capitals organization, and Wayne Gretzky for support.

The Best College Athletes for both women’s and men’s sports were two of the best on the court last season: Juju Watkins from USC and NBA first-overall pick Cooper Flagg from Duke.

Noah Elliott, the para snowboarder who has won two Paralympic and eight World Championship medals won Best Athlete with a Disability.

The best athletes in their respective sports were awarded: Caitlin Clark won Best WNBA Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won Best NBA Player, Saquon Barkley won Best NFL Player, Shohei Ohtani won Best MLB Player, Leon Draisaitl won Best NHL Player, Christian Pulisic won Best Soccer Player, Coco Gauff won Best Tennis Player, Max Verstappen won Best Driver, Scottie Scheffler won Best Golfer, Merab Dvalishvili won Best UFC Fighter, and Katie Taylor won Best Boxer.

The Best Team was awarded to the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Impactful Speeches

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Coming after a historic and record-breaking year for women’s sports, many of the women athletes recognized how far women’s sports have come and used their presence on stage to continue to inspire women in sports.

Simone Biles, who was honored to win Best Championship Performance as the only woman in the category, began her speech offering condolences and prayers for those affected by the floods in her home state of Texas. She thanked her teammates, competitors, coaches, and family in her speech, and expressed the importance of having a support system, before ending on a note to inspire others: “For all the young aspiring athletes, coaches, trainers, doctors, mental health professionals, or whatever path you may choose in life, I encourage you to follow your heart, pursue your dreams, and believe in yourself every step of the way, as anything is possible. I believe in the power of sport, the power of us, and, of course, the power of she.”

Ilona Maher continued to be a team player and used her moment to empower other women. “My message stays the same: strong is beautiful, strong is powerful, it’s sexy, it’s whatever you want it to be. And I hope more girls can feel how I feel. Sports does amazing things, and for a girl who didn’t understand why her body looked the way it did, sport gave me an outlet and showed me how capable I can be.” 

Maher ended her speech with encouragement to women in sports: “take up space, pitch it faster, run harder, put another plate on the bar, and never tone it down.”

“While our sports and leagues face their own challenges, our mission has always been very similar. We fought to leave our game in a better place than where we found it. Just as the generation before us did. And we wouldn’t be here without those women, paving the way, giving us the confidence and will to play, to fight, to advocate, to be on this stage accepting this award,” Alex Morgan said as she accepted the Icon Award alongside Diana Taurasi. "We're standing on the shoulders of giants, and this is a huge tribute to them as much as us. So, to the women before us, it's because of you that we never have to apologize for speaking up or for fighting to raise the bar. It’s because of you that we have no limits.”

“When I was diagnosed with two rare kidney diseases, I was told I’d never compete again. But I refused to believe that. There were days where I felt scared, defeated, and alone, but I always found strength around me,” Suni Lee said as she shared the obstacles she faced en route to her second Olympics. “I’m so proud we never took ‘no’ for an answer. From hospital beds to three Olympic medals in Paris, this is proof that no setback can stop you if you don’t stop fighting.”

Lee stuck the landing on her speech on a powerful note: “I just have to say, never, ever underestimate a girl who is determined to prove her worth to herself.”

And that’s what you missed on the ESPYs!