Alex Morgan and Diana Taurasi Claim 2025 ESPY Awards Icon Honor
The facts matter. Here is our in-depth look at Alex Morgan and Diana Taurasi earning the 2025 ESPY Awards Icon Award. In a ceremony hosted by comedian Shane Gillis at Los Angeles’s Dolby Theater on July 16, two of the most decorated athletes of their generation stood side by side to accept one of sports’ highest honors. The joint award recognized Morgan’s nearly two decades of excellence on the soccer pitch and Taurasi’s legendary 20 seasons in professional basketball, highlighting their combined impact on women’s sports and beyond.
Alex Morgan opened the evening by paying tribute to the trailblazing female players who paved the way for her record 190 caps with the U.S. Women’s National Team, plus club stints with the San Diego Wave and Orlando Pride. “We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, and this is a huge tribute to them as much as us,” she said, underscoring how early pioneers allowed the current generation to “never have to apologize for speaking up or for fighting to raise the bar.” Morgan’s reminder that “it’s because of you that we have no limits” reflects a career defined by clutch goals, two Olympic gold medals and a 2019 World Cup championship.
Diana Taurasi matched Morgan’s gratitude by spotlighting her family’s “immigrant grit,” a driving force behind her more than 10,600 career points in the WNBA. “That’s the stuff that doesn’t show up in the highlight reels but shows up when the lights go off and you’re still out there grinding,” she said. Taurasi’s acknowledgment of her parents’ sacrifices reinforced the broader theme of resilience that shapes many elite athletes.
The Icon Award duo follows last year’s honoree, coach Nick Saban. Beyond Morgan and Taurasi, the evening celebrated performances across multiple sports, with awards covering MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, soccer, tennis and more. Among the contenders for top honors were NFL quarterback Josh Allen—fresh off marrying actress Hailee Steinfeld—WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson, NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and tennis phenom Coco Gauff.
Emerging talent and comeback stories also took center stage. U.S. rugby union standout Ilona Maher earned a breakthrough nomination for bringing new attention to her sport, noting on the House of Maher Podcast that this marked “the first time rugby has ever been nominated in anything.” Alongside Maher were basketball prospect Cooper Flagg, lacrosse rising star Chloe Humphrey and baseball’s Rookie of the Year candidate Paul Skenes. Veterans such as gymnast Suni Lee and skier Lindsey Vonn vied in the comeback category, each celebrated for overcoming obstacles to return to elite competition.
Star power extended into the audience with appearances by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Russell Wilson and Ciara, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, plus musical duo Tobe Nwigwe and Fat Nwigwe. Their presence underscored the ESPYs’ role as both a recognition of athletic achievement and a showcase of sports culture’s most compelling personalities. That delivers our take on Morgan and Taurasi’s night; expect more award season analysis as ceremonies continue unfolding.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, House of Maher Podcast
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
