Everything you need to know about the 2022 ESPYS
By Leah Asmelash, CNN
From the Winter Olympics to Tom Brady’s unretirement, it’s been a wild year in sports. And this year’s ESPYS will highlight just that.
The ESPYS, ESPN’s annual awards show celebrating the year in sports, is set to air Wednesday night. Here’s everything you need to know about the show.
Steph Curry will host
Fresh off his fourth NBA championship, Golden State Warriors’ star Steph Curry will be trying out his comedy chops as the host of Wednesday’s awards.
“It’s going to be some jokes, some entertainment, and we’re celebrating the year that was in sports. So y’all tune in,” Curry said in a video posted to social media.
Brittney Griner is still top of mind
WNBA star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for more than 150 days, with a fourth hearing for her trial scheduled for Friday morning.
While the ESPYS take place Wednesday, three mobile digital billboards demanding her release will drive around Hollywood — where the awards will be happening at Dolby Theatre. The billboards are an effort from Change.org in collaboration with Griner’s family and legal team, a representative for Change.org said.
The US State Department has said Griner is being wrongfully detained, but her release has yet to be secured.
Some have called ESPN out for its treatment of female athletes
This year’s ceremony has already been the subject of controversy.
Multiple female athletes admonished ESPN for nominating several women for categories, but not actually inviting them to the ceremony.
Caprice Dydasco, a player for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, was one such player. Her teammate, Nicole Baxter, spoke out about the incident on Twitter.
“In what world would (ESPN) nominate (Dydasco) for best NWSL player and then tell us that category is not invited to the ESPYS????????” Baxter wrote. “The constant disrespect for womens sports SMH.”
WNBA legend Dawn Staley, currently the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks, also spoke against the network’s treatment of female athletes, after her star player Aliyah Boston, nominated for “Best College Athlete,” was not offered an invite.
“Not one person was able to see the uproar this would cause?” Staley asked on Twitter. “There’s definitely something wrong with the make up of the room ……the fight continue.”
“Due to both Covid restrictions and a new venue with much less seating capacity than previous shows, the 2022 ESPYS prioritized athlete invitations to focus on specific awards that will be handed out during the broadcast,” ESPN told CNN in a statement.
How to watch the ESPYS
For those interested, the ESPYS will be airing live at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday evening on ABC.
Though Curry will host, celebrities from both entertainment and sports will be making appearances, including Odell Beckham Jr., Aubrey Plaza and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
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