Tag: Seattle Storm

How to watch 2020 ESPYS hosted by Russell Wilson, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe

Everything you need to know to watch Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, Storms Sue Bird and OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe host the 2020 ESPY awards.

The 2020 ESPYS will be a virtual event this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that continues to impact the nation. The annual awards show will also have a different feel, as it’s shifting its focus “from outstanding athletic achievement to further highlight narratives of service, perseverance, and courage within the world of sports,” per the ESPN press release.

Three of the most exciting athletes in sports today will be hosting the event: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird and OL Reign winger Megan Rapinoe.

“The ESPYS are always a highlight for me every year and I’m incredibly honored that they’ve asked me to co-host this year’s special show,” Wilson said via the press release. “Although the sports world is on a pause, Megan, Sue, and I hope to shine a light on some of the amazing stories of resilience that we are seeing through this unique time.”

The ESPYS will air Sunday, June 21 at 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN and streaming on Watch ESPN.

Be sure and follow Seahawks Wire for the list of award winners.

[lawrence-related id=64418]

Trio of Seattle sports stars, including Russell Wilson, to host ESPYs

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, along with Seattle sports stars Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, will host the ESPY awards remotely in 2020.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and a pair of fellow Seattle sports legends, soccer player Megan Rapinoe and her partner, Sue Bird of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, will be hosting the ESPY Awards this year.

Of course, instead of standing together at a podium in front of 5,000 audience members in Los Angeles in July, during MLB’s All-Star break, the event will instead take place on Sunday, June 21 – and will be done completely remotely.

Wilson, Bird and Rapinoe are all local to Seattle, with Bird and Rapinoe living together, helping to ease some of the logistics in preparation. Wilson’s wife, Ciara, is expected to participate in some fashion as well.

“We liked the idea of having athletes from diverse sports that represent something for every fan,” show producer Jeff Smith said. “We’re finding ways to make this feel really connected to the audience. They’re so ready to reach out to this community.”

The show also intends to change their focus. Instead of honoring the top athletes and moments in sports from the previous year, the event will celebrate “heroism and humanitarian aid.”

The event will still feature their most prominent awards, including the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.

However, instead of giving canned acceptance speeches, the plan is to show the audience a call informing the award winner of the honor, so everyone can see their reaction in real time.

“We really love this sort of pure reaction,” Smith said. “We found ways to really be able to capture it.”

The ESPYs will no doubt look a lot different this year, like most of the sports world, but seeing a handful of familiar faces doing the hosting will feel good for local Seattle sports fans, and watching Wilson’s attempts at humor should be quite entertaining.

[lawrence-related id=62235]

Two Longhorns make jump to the WNBA

Joyner Holmes and teammate Sug Sutton were selected in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Where did they land?

On Friday night the WNBA took center stage with the WNBA Draft. Two former Longhorns were looking to make the jump to the next level and continue their playing careers. In the first round of the draft, senior forward Joyner Holmes got the call she had been waiting her whole life for.

Holmes will now head to the pacific northwest and join the Seattle Storm. The Storm’s roster is quite loaded with talent including 16-year veteran Sue Bird. Holmes will join a forward group that also includes Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck who played their college ball at UConn. She will have quite the challenge to make the team once their season gets rolling.

Sug Sutton also was selected in the third round to the defending WNBA Champion Washington Mystics. Sutton joins former Longhorns standout Ariel Atkins, who will be going into her third year.

The WNBA season was set to start on May 14th but it remains to be seen when either of these two Longhorns will finally step on the court as professional athletes at the next level.

Skylar Diggins-Smith Traded to Phoenix in WNBA Blockbuster

“Players with Skylar’s skill set and ceiling don’t become available in free agency often” Mercury General Manager Jim Pittman said.

All-time Notre Dame great Skylar Diggins-Smith may not have won a national championship in her time with the Fighting Irish, but she’s easily one of the best to ever wear the blue, gold, green, white and whatever other colors that have been donned under Muffet McGraw.

Since graduating in 2013 Diggins has been starring in the WNBA where she is a two-time all WNBA first-team selection and a four-time All-Star.  She’s averaged 15.9 points and 4.9 assists for her career with Tulsa and Dallas (the team moved after the 2015 season).

Wednesday saw Diggins-Smith being traded from Dallas to the Phoenix Mercury where she will be part of their big three featuring herself, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner.

The cost for Diggins-Smith you ask?

Substansial.

Two of the first round draft picks Dallas gets back are the fifth and seventh overall in this upcoming WNBA Draft while the other is for the 2021 draft.

“Players with Skylar’s skill set and ceiling don’t become available in free agency often” Mercury General Manager Jim Pittman said.

Diggins-Smith did not play in 2019 after giving birth to her first child that April.

The Mercury begin their season on May 17 against the Seattle Storm.