Hail to the Champs

The champions of 2022 wowed and thrilled—and looked good doing it.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Dec 21, 2022

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A version of this piece was originally published in the December 15, 2022 issue of SI.

The year began with Georgia slaying its (crimson) dragon and saw the Warriors remind everyone why they’re still golden. Come autumn, the Astros showed why they’re as inevitable as the seasons. The champions of 2022 wowed and thrilled—and looked good doing it.

Dawgs’ day: Jan. 10, Indianapolis

Georgia wide receiver George Pickens — David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated

George Pickens’s first-quarter diving catch set the tone for Georgia’s 33–18 win over Alabama in the CFP championship game, which gave the school its first national title in 41 years.

Super Cooper: Feb. 13, Inglewood, Calif.

Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp — John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

Trailing with 1:25 left in Super Bowl LVI, the Rams got a go-ahead TD catch from Cooper Kupp, giving L.A. a 23–20 win over the Bengals.

More than a game: April 3, Minneapolis

South Carolina’s Laeticia Amihere — David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated

Aliyah Boston (4) got plenty of help from her friends, like Laeticia Amihere (15), leading South Carolina to glory.

KU’s KO: April 4, New Orleans

Kansas wins the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball championship — Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

Kansas overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to beat UNC for the national title.

Better than OK: June 4, Oklahoma City

Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo — Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network

Oklahoma senior Jocelyn Alo, who set the NCAA record for career homers during the regular season, went out with a bang, mashing five homers in the Women’s College World Series, including this one against Texas, as the Sooners romped to their second title in a row.

Wigged good: June 13, San Francisco

Warriors’ forward Andrew Wiggins — John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

Andrew Wiggins capped his first All-Star season by averaging 18.3 points and 8.8 boards per game in the NBA Finals as the Warriors beat the Celtics in six games.

Landslide victory: June 26, Tampa

Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen — Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Artturi Lehkonen hit the post in the first period of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final but made no mistake in the second, scoring the series-winning goal as the Avalanche beat the Lightning.

Aces go wild: Sept. 18, Uncasville, Conn.

Aces coach Becky Hammon and star A’Ja Wilson — Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Coach Becky Hammon embraced her star A’Ja Wilson after Las Vegas won the WNBA title.

Astronomical rookie: Nov. 2, Philadelphia

Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña — Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Jeremy Peña was the breakout star of Houston’s title run, bagging the World Series MVP by hitting .400 against the Phillies and seamlessly replacing Carlos Correa at short.

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