A star-studded evening commenced at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. A range of superstar athletes graced the 2024 edition of the ESPYS. Presented by Capital One, the evening recognized the best players, teams, and moments in the sports world. As it turns out, two major South Carolina names in the form of A’ja Wilson and Dawn Staley were the recipients of major accolades for the night.

While the 4× WBCA National Coach of the Year Staley got her hands on the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, her former protege and the 2023 WNBA Finals MVP swept the honor of being the Best WNBA Player. In addition to this, she was also adjudged the Best Athlete in Women’s Sports.

Soon after the announcement, Wilson’s Aces teammates surrounded her outside her hotel room to celebrate the occasion. The special moment also featured the 27-year-old having a fun interaction with her mother on her phone. “Aces crash A’ja Wilson’s hotel room,” ESPN let in.

Meanwhile, Staley soaked in the moment by saying, “Thank you all. I am profoundly honored and deeply moved to stand before you today accepting this prestigious award. But 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. I have merely been a spectator to such immense courage and resilience.” 

Apart from these, there were other names from the basketball world as well who headlined the event.

Stars who joined A’ja Wilson and Dawn Staley in celebrating women’s basketball success

In recent times, it is highly unlikely that a women’s basketball awards ceremony can conclude without the name Caitlin Clark in it. The 2× USBWA National Player of the Year had 3 nominations to her name out of which she grabbed 2 awards. Seemingly, Clark was chosen to be the Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports and her NCAA Division I all-time leading scoring record fetched her the Best Record-Breaking Performance. She was only second to A’ja Wilson in the Best Athlete in Women’s Sports category.

At the same time, USC’s wonder kid JuJu Watkins’ talent was also deemed worthy of an honor. Apparently, she overcame Victor Wembanyama, Haleigh Bryant and C.J. Stroud to become the Best Breakthrough Athlete.

Moreover, Dawn Staley had another reason to be proud of. Her 2024 national championship-winning basketball program, the South Carolina Gamecocks was adjudged as the Best Team.

An eventful and celebratory evening for the ambassadors of women’s basketball. These awards are proof that whether it’s A’ja Wilson or Caitlin Clark, their contributions have been of immense significance to women’s basketball. Surely, all of them have left a lasting impression on the sport for years to come.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.