Sports Photos of the Year 2022

Caught in the moment

On football fields and in baseball stadiums, in high school gyms and cavernous arenas, in frigid January and sweltering August, Star Tribune photographers captured it all. That includes this Carlos Gonzalez photo of D'Angelo Russell during team introductions at the Timberwolves' season opener. 

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ,(14) goes airborne over Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson (7) picking up a first down at the 2-yard line in the first quarter in Minneapolis.,Minn. on Sunday September 25, 2022.
New York Rangers right wing Ryan Reaves (75) punches Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Foligno (17) as the two fight in the third period Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.. ] aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com
Patrick Rafter, of New Brighton, waited for the start of Saturday night's Winter Classic game bundled up and wearing ski goggles. The Minnesota Wild played the St. Louis Blues in an NHL Winter Classic game Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn. ] AARON LAVINSKY • aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com
Chanhassen teammates dance the worm before the Section 2 Class 4A championship game between Chanhassen and Shakopee at Miller Park on Thursday, June 2, 2022 in Eden Prairie, Minn. Chanhassen won 11-10. ] RENEE JONES SCHNEIDER • renee.jones@startribune.com
Minnesota Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) had dunk late in the second half Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The University of Minnesota men's basketball was defeated by the DePaul University Blue Demons 69-53. ] JEFF WHEELER • Jeff.Wheeler@startribune.com
Justin Jefferson (18) of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates a 64-yard reception in the second quarter Sunday, September 11, 2022, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • carlos.gonzalez@startribune.com
Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers ,(27) waited for the smoke to clear after pregame activities of opening day at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday, April 8, 2022.
Riders walk to to the starting gate under a rainbow during opening night at Canterbury Park on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 in Shakopee, Minn. ] RENEE JONES SCHNEIDER • renee.jones@startribune.com
A group of young Vikings fans have seemingly mixed feelings as they sit together during training camp Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022 at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minn. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com
Thomas Miller worked on his launch with coach Karl Denney at the Bush Lake Ski Jumps in Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022 in Bloomington, Minn. They're both with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Athletes from Europe, Canada, and the U.S. took to the skies on their skis to compete in the International Nordic Ski Jumping event Flyfest 2022, the local leg of the Midwestern 5 Hills Tour ] JEFF WHEELER • Jeff.Wheeler@startribune.com
Tony and Gordette Oliva waved to fans along the parade route Saturday, July 23, 2022 in the Hall of Fame Legends Parade on Main St. in Cooperstown, New York on the eve of his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. ] JEFF WHEELER • Jeff.Wheeler@startribune.com
Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph celebrates with teammates after kicking the game winner in overtime against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings stormed back from a 33-0 halftime deficit.
Aerial Powers (3) of the Minnesota Lynx reacts near courtside fans after a play at the end of the third quarter Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • carlos.gonzalez@startribune.com
Olympic gold medalist and Minnesota native Sunisa "Suni" Lee does a flip as she throws out the honorary opening pitch before the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays game Friday, August 5, 2022 at Target Field in Minneapolis. ]
Destanni Henderson (3) of South Carolina attempts a shot during the championship game in the NCAA Women's Final Four on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at Target Center in Minneapolis. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • carlos.gonzalez@startribune.com
Minnesota Twins third baseman Gio Urshela (15 ) was given an ice water shower courtesy of teammate Luis Arraez (2) during his post-game interview with Bally's Katie Storm at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn. Monday night, August 1, 2022. The Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-3 in an MLB baseball game. ] JEFF WHEELER • Jeff.Wheeler@startribune.com
From left, Tim Torgerson, Bob Timmons and Dan Winga climb a hill past Forestville Cemetery Wednesday, June 29, 2022 in Southeast Minn. ] Aaron Lavinsky • aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com
Red Lake quarterback Cade Beaulieu warmed up his arm while practicing near the truck of his cousin and teammates Brayden Beaulieu, which contained the severed head of a whitetail buck harvested hunting the night before Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 in Red Lake , Minn.. ] aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com
The Maple Grove football team walks out fo the visiting team room before their game against St. Michael-Albertville Friday, Oct. 14, 2022 at St. Michael-Albertville High School in St. Michael, Minn. ]
Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel (10) comes down with a catch as Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum (24) trips over the referee in the third quarter as the Minnesota Vikings take on the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field, in Landover, MD, on Sunday, November 6, 2022. ] Elizabeth Flores • liz.flores@startribune.com
New London-Spicer's Brycen Christensen (81) runs in for a touchdown after teammate Grant Paffrath (12) lateraled the ball to him as he was being tackled by Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton' Brody Friend (8) for the final play to win the Minnesota High School football Class 3A State Championship at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. ] SHARI L. GROSS • shari.gross@startribune.com
Twins centerfielder Royce Lewis snagged a fly ball hit by Kansas City Royals third baseman Emmanuel Rivera (26) in the sixth inning in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sunday, May 29, 2022. Lewis was injured on the play after he collided with the wall.
D'Angelo Russell (0) of the Minnesota Timberwolves is fouled by LaMelo Ball (2) of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime Tuesday, Feb. 15, at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • cgonzalez@startribune.com
Hopkins guard Jasmine Dupree (11) dances in the middle of the girl's basketball team huddle before playing no.1 ranked Sidwell Friends in the Girl's Basketball Invitational Friday, Jan. 21, 2022 in Hopkins, Minn. Sidwell Friends would go on to win 67-55.
Hill-Murray rushes the boards by the student section to celebrate their 5-0 win over White Bear Lake in the the Class 2A Section 4 Championship Friday, March 4, 2022 at Aldrich Ice Arena in Maplewood, Minn. ]
A St.Thomas student rests ahead of the football game against San Diego Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022 at O'Shaughnessy Stadium in St. Paul, Minn. ]
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (4) takes a knee to pray before the game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sunday, Oct. 09, 2022. Vikings vs. Bears ] Elizabeth Flores • liz.flores@startribune.com