The ESPYs have revealed their awards and candidates for their annual summer award show. Mississippi State athletics is up for two of them.
SportsNation revealed the different categories and candidates for each award that will be handed out in July’s ESPYS show. Mississippi State athletics has the chance to bring home two awards. The best player in Mississippi State football history, Dak Prescott, and the incredible women’s basketball team are both up for an ESPY.
Starting quarterback for America’s Team? Check. Pro Bowler in his first season? Check NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year? Check. Candidate for an ESPY? Check.
Dak Prescott continues to rack up honors, rewards, and recognition after his historically great rookie season for the Dallas Cowboys. Dak was named one of five candidates for “Best Breakthrough Athlete”. In his first season of the NFL, Dak Prescott took the world by storm and led the to Cowboys 13 wins. He clearly outperformed his fourth-round draft selection and has become one of the faces of the league.
Related Story: Dak voted as 14th best player in NFL
The other four candidates that were revealed are Giannis Antetokoumpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Olympian Laurie Hernandez, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, and soccer phenom Christian Pulisic.
The Mississippi State Women’s Hoops squad took the university on a ride for the ages. The Bulldogs won 34 games, finished in the SEC, and appeared in the Final Four for the first time in the program’s history. The team knocked off the WNBA Draft’s number one overall draft pick Kelsey Plum and her Washington team to reach the Elite Eight for the first time ever. Morgan William followed that up with one of the greatest individual performances in school history. Her 41 points and 7 assists pushed State past Baylor to reach the Final Four.
And then, there was the game. The shot.
Mississippi State broke UConn’s 111 game win streak behind a gutsy team effort and Morgan William’s historic shot that will go down in college basketball history. The team shocked the sports world and is up for “Best Upset”.
Clemson’s win over Alabama in the National Championship game and Denis Istomin’s victory over Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open are also up for the award.
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The ESPYS will be live on ABC on July 12 at 7 p.m. CT and will be hosted by Peyton Manning.
*NOTE: Morgan William’s shot is also up for “Best Play”. Her shot is the 2-seed in the voting bracket versus 15-seed Larry Nance’s dunk.