2024 ESPYS: Here’s the winners list for 2024.
From the Best Team to the Top Play. Here’s the current list of the 2024 ESPYS winners.
By ESPN.com
Jul 12, 2024 12:00 AM
Jul 12, 2024, 08:01 AM
LOS ANGELES — Led by host Serena Williams, The ESPYS celebrated a landmark year for women’s sports including Simone Biles, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Dawn Staley and JuJu Watkins as honorees on Thursday evening.
Staley is the coach of the champion national South Carolina women’s basketball team, was awarded the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her commitment to fight for gender equality in women’s sport and for her role in fighting cancer. Her close friend, Tennessee standout Nikki McCray-Penson was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away and her sister was diagnosed with leukemia. Staley was inspired by their fight to become a champion for research into cancer.
“I must confess I feel a little undeserving of this recognition. Past recipients of the Jimmy V Perseverance Award have faced incredible challenges and proven themselves as true warriors,” Staley declared. “I have merely been a spectator to such immense courage and resilience.”
Staley’s Gamecocks also received the best team award.
Wilson who plays for The Las Vegas Aces was awarded as the best female athlete in sports and was named the top WNBA player.
“It’s crazy to think that a young girl that didn’t even want to play basketball is now up in the running for even one ESPY,” she stated in videotaped remarks.
Biles won the title of her the most impressive comeback weeks prior to when she will compete in her first Paris Olympics. The most successful gymnast in the history of sport pulled out of the team competitions in the Tokyo Games to prioritize her mental well-being.
Clark from The Indiana Fever also received two awards, one for her record-setting performance, making the college’s record-setting scoring leader and top college athlete in recognition of the duration of her Iowa college basketball experience.
“I’m a little bit busy in Indianapolis,” Clark recorded on videotape. “It was a special year in women’s athletics.”
Watkins won the prize for the best breakthrough athlete, winning the first award following the nationally-telecast news conference began in the late hours and ran for 30 minutes over the scheduled time.
This USC basketball player was a star in his freshman season that led his team of Trojans towards being in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time since decades.
“This is crazy,” Watkins declared. “I want to thank all the great, powerful women who came before me that made this possible.”
Williams made fun of herself in her monologue at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood and then sang following the show. Ciara started the show with a musical. Williams her older sister, Venus was also out and said she was actually invited to host the show and the siblings fought over an disagreement.
“You may be wondering why I’m doing this,” the fashion guru Serena stated. “Any opportunity to wear 16 outfits in three hours, I’m going to take it.”
The ABC broadcast returned after a commercial break in the final few minutes and started repeating the awards ceremony of two previous awards. Williams’s departure was cut short and so were the closing credits. ABC reported that a technical issue that affected the feed caused the live broadcast on both the East as well as the Central zone of time. The glitch was corrected to allow tape delayed viewing on the West.
Prince Harry was awarded his Pat Tillman award for his service, and spoke of that he was the former Army Ranger’s mother, who criticised ESPN for recognizing the queen’s.
With his wife Meghan taking part in a standing ovation and a standing ovation, the Duke of Sussex accepted the award from three veterans of the military who sustained injuries in their tour of duty. Harry was in the British military for a total of 10 years which included two deployments in Afghanistan as helicopter pilot.
He came up with The Invictus Games in 2014, that serves as a multi-sport paralympic style game for injured or injured servicemen and veterans.
“This award belongs to them, not to me,” Harry declared.
The mother of Tillman, Mary Tillman, had criticised ESPN’s decision to select Harry and said that there were people working in the veteran community that would be more suitable. Harry acknowledged Tillman’s widow, Marie for her presence and also thanked Mary Tillman.
“Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect,” said the president. “The bond between a mother and son is eternal and transcends even the greatest losses.”
Former NFL security Steve Gleason was honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. The former player was diagnosed ALS or amyotrophic-lateral sclerosis which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in the year 2011. His non-profit organization, Team Gleason, helps people suffering from ALS have a purpose in their lives through programs and support.
Gleason received standing ovations when he walked onto his place on stage with a motorized chair, and was kissed by his former New Orleans Saints teammate Drew Brees. Gleason’s voice was heard by special technology. His child, Rivers, stood next to his father, and was holding the award.
“For me, this honor represents some encouragement and triumph for the families currently living with ALS, all the people living with disabilities or other illnesses,” said he declared. “I suppose if you have never experienced fear, isolation or suffering, you can roll your sanctified ass right out of here.”
Shohei Ohtani, a player of the Los Angeles Dodgers was best MLB player. Connor McDavid of the Stanley Cup finalist Edmonton Oilers was best NHL player. Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks was best NBA player.
The most successful male sports player is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He was also credited as the to be the best NFL player.
Cooper Flagg an experienced guard-forward who is from Montverde (Florida) Academy, and track and field player Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura (California) High, were named the Gatorade National Players of the Year award.
Associated Press contributed to this report.