The 2022 ESPY awards will take place Wednesday (Ch. 5, 7 p.m.) and eight athletes with local ties are nominated for major awards. Here's the list:
Eight with Minnesota ties nominated for ESPY awards, which will be presented Wednesday
The list includes several pro athletes, Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee and a Lakeville man nominated for a historic table tennis victory.
July 20, 2022 at 11:57AM
- Anthony Barr
Barr is one four finalists for the 2022 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. The longtime Vikings linebacker, and current free agent, started the Raise the Barr Foundation in 2016 with his mother to provide education opportunities for single-parent families. Barr has been involved with the Jeremiah Program in Minneapolis and worked with the Minneapolis Juvenile Detention Center.
- Paige Bueckers
Though not up for an individual award, Bueckers most iconic moment of the 2021-2022 season is why the Connecticut Huskies are nominated for "Best Game" for their double overtime thriller against North Carolina State in the Elite Eight. Bueckers scored 23 points in the second half and overtime on 8-for-9 shooting as UConn advanced to the Final Four in Minneapolis.
- Sylvia Fowles
The Lynx star may be on a retirement tour this season, but her skills are far from diminished. Fowles is nominated for "Best WNBA Player" for her fantastic 2021 campaign. Fowles was named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year last season after she finished second in the league in steals and blocks while averaging 16 points and 10.1 rebounds.
- Chet Holmgren
The No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft this season is nominated for "Best College Athlete, Men's Sports" for his freshman season at Gonzaga where he averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. The Minnehaha Academy grad is the only men's basketball player nominated.
- Suni Lee
The Olympic gold medalist and current Auburn Tiger is nominated for "Best Athlete, Women's Sports" and "Best Olympian, Women's Sports" after her incredible performance at the Tokyo Games — which included a breathtaking gold in the women's all-around that sent the St. Paul native soaring into the public consciousness.
- Brock Lesnar
The former University of Minnesota heavyweight wrestler and NCAA Division I national champion is nominated for several "Best WWE Moment" matches, including his win at the Royal Rumble, his return at SummerSlam and his loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
- Ian Seidenfeld
The University of Minnesota athlete and Lakeville native is nominated for "Best Athlete with a Disability, Men's Sports" after a historic win in the Class 6 men's singles table tennis competition at the Tokyo Paralympics. Seidenfeld, 20, defeated world No. 1 Peter Rosenmeier of Denmark — giving the United States its first gold in table tennis since 1996.
- Karl-Anthony Towns
The Timberwolves center is also a finalist for the Muhammad Ali award. Towns has been an advocate for equity in health care — specifically around care and treatment for COVID-19. Towns also donated $20,000 to the George Floyd Memorial Foundation in July 2021.
The players communicated through a group text chain to pull themselves out of a four-game losing streak. But the thread is used for other ways to bond and build camaraderie.
