Hail to the Champs

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

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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

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.

READ MORE: Alabama, Conquered: How Kirby Smart, Georgia Finally Broke Through to Win It All (Pat Forde)

Super Cooper: Feb. 13, Inglewood, Calif.

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.

READ MORE: How the Rams Got Away, Found One Another, Then Found a Way (Greg Bishop and Conor Orr)

More than a game: April 3, Minneapolis

David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated

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

READ MORE: Dawn Staley’s Holistic Approach Defines a Team That Couldn’t Be Stopped (Emma Baccellieri)

KU’s KO: April 4, New Orleans

Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

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

READ MORE: From Controversies to Comebacks, Kansas Completes the Perfectly Imperfect Title Run (Greg Bishop, with additional reporting by Kevin Sweeney and Pat Forde)

Better than OK: June 4, Oklahoma City

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.

READ MORE: The Hypnotizing Effect of Jocelyn Alo (Emma Baccellieri)

Wigged good: June 13, San Francisco

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.

READ MORE: Inside the Warriors’ Long-Awaited Return to Glory (Howard Beck)

Landslide victory: June 26, Tampa

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.

READ MORE: The Avalanche Put the Lightning Dynasty on Ice (Dan Gartland)

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

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

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

READ MORE: A’ja Wilson and Becky Hammon Found Each Other at Just the Right Moment (Michael Rosenberg)

Astronomical rookie: Nov. 2, Philadelphia

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.

READ MORE: The Astros Are World Series Champions—No Asterisk Needed (Tom Verducci)

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