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VIDEO: Parade honors the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team
A parade to honor the University of South Carolina women’s basketball NCAA national championship victory was held in downtown Columbia on April 14, 2024.
COLUMBIA — Dawn Staley will be well represented at this year’s ESPY Awards as her current team and former player A’ja Wilson combined for three nominations.
South Carolina women’s basketball is nominated for the “best team” award and Wilson is nominated for both “best WNBA player” and “best athlete, women’s sports.”
The award show is on July 11 (ABC, 8 p.m. ET), in Los Angeles, hosted by Serena Williams.
On Wednesday morning, ESPN revealed the entire list of nominees. Wilson’s current WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, is up against Staley’s squad for the award.
2024 ESPYS: Best team award nominees
- South Carolina Gamecocks, NCAA Women’s Basketball
- Kansas City Chiefs, NFL
- Michigan Wolverines, NCAA Football
- Las Vegas Aces, WNBA
- University of Connecticut Huskies, NCAA Men’s Basketball
- Oklahoma Sooners, NCAA Softball
- Boston Celtics, NBA
- Florida Panthers, NHL
- Texas Rangers, MLB
Every team nominated won their respective championship in the 2023-24 season.
Wilson is competing against Caitlin Clark formerly of Iowa women’s basketball and now of the Indiana Fever. Iowa lost to South Carolina in the NCAA championship on April 7. Clark plays with former Gamecocks star Aliyah Boston on the Fever, after being picked No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA draft.
2024 ESPYS: Best athlete, women’s sports award nominees
- Caitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s Basketball
- Coco Gauff, Tennis
- Nelly Korda, Golf
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson’s second award is specific to the WNBA.
2024 ESPYS: Best WNBA player:
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
- Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
- Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
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Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
