By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott3@umd.edu
From boxing to college basketball and the Olympics, 2024 gave plenty of standout moments for both Black athletes and coaches. Take a look back at some of the major sporting moments this year below!
January
Jan. 13
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as AFCON, kicked off in January 2024 due to summer weather concerns in the Ivory Coast. The 2023 AFCON was hosted by the Ivory Coast from Jan. 13 to Feb. 11. This was only the second time in the event’s history and the first since 1984 that the country hosted the games.
February
Feb. 11
Africa Cup of Nations – Soccer
Africa Cup of Nations host country, Ivory Coast, won the AFCON for the third time on Feb. 11, with Nigeria taking second place.
Patrick Mahomes – National Football League (NFL)
Feb. 11
Mahomes has led the Kansas City Chiefs to four Super Bowl appearances in only five seasons as a starter and six seasons total. Mahomes and the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, the team’s second consecutive Super Bowl victory. Kansas City will be looking to become the first team during the Super Bowl era to three-peat this year. The Chiefs currently hold the best record in the National Football League right now at 11-1, tied with the Detroit Lions.
Feb. 24
Howard University’s HBCU Ice Skating Team debut
Howard University made history with the Feb. 24 debut of its ice skating team, becoming the first HBCU to compete in collegiate figure skating. The team dazzled at their inaugural performance, combining athleticism, artistry and school pride. This groundbreaking moment marks an exciting step for diversity and representation in the sport. The first team members are Mykal Bailey (left), Cheyenne Walker, Maya James, Melia Gordon, Ariel Clarke and Gabrielle Francis.
March
March 2
Lebron James scores 40,000 points
LeBron James made history by becoming the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 career points during the Denver Nuggets vs LosAngeles Lakers game on March 2. This historic achievement further cemented LeBron’s legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game, showcasing his consistency, longevity and dominance over two decades in the league.
March 19 – Apr. 4
National Invitational Tournament (NIT) – Seton Hall
The NIT is a basketball tournament participated in by collegiate basketball teams that were not selected to play in the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. Seton Hall kicked off the tournament by narrowly defeating northeast foe Saint Joseph’s in overtime. Al-Amir Dawes hit the go-ahead three-pointer in overtime to lift Seton Hall to victory. Seton Hall would go on to run the table and win the entire tournament, defeating Indiana State 79-77 in the championship game. Dawes led all scorers with 24 points in that game and would take home Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors.
April
April 3
Angel Reese declares for the WNBA
Angel Reese, standout star of Louisiana State University’s (LSU) women’s basketball team, declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft on April 3 after a sensational college career. Known for her dynamic scoring, rebounding and leadership, Reese led LSU to a national championship and earned numerous accolades, including NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She now plays for the Chicago Sky.
April 7
Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks – College Basketball
Dawn Staley was already one of the most accomplished players and coaches in the basketball world, and she would only embolden her resume in April 2024 when she led the South Carolina Gamecocks to their third national championship on April 7. The Gamecocks had a flawless record, going a flawless 38-0 in the regular season and winning the Southeast Conference tournament prior to being named national champions.
April 12
Morgan Price wins Gymnastics National Title
Morgan Price made history on April 12 by becoming the first gymnast from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to win the USA Gymnastics Collegiate All-Around National Championship. Competing for Fisk University, she earned a score of 39.225 – which reflected her performance on floor exercise (9.850), uneven bars (9.850), balance beam (9.725) and vault (9.800), a landmark achievement for both her and the school.
NFL Draft
April 25-27
With the first two picks of the 2024 NFL Draft, Heisman Trophy winners Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels were selected to the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, respectively. Daniels is currently the Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner. With the eighth overall pick, the Atlanta Falcons selected Michael Penix, Jr. This marked the second year in a row where three Black quarterbacks were selected within the first 10 picks of the draft. In 2023, the Carolina Panthers selected Bryce Young first overall and Houston selected CJ Stroud with the very next pick. Three picks later, the Indianapolis Colts took Anthony Richardson.
May
May 28
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball officially integrated Negro League statistics with Major League Baseball database statistics on May 28. With this change, Josh Gibson officially became the all-time leader in batting average and slugging percentage.
June
June 5
NCAA Track and Field Championships
The NCAA Track and Field Championships took place the first two weeks of June at Heyward Field in Eugene, OR. Maryland native Caleb Dean notably won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 48.05 seconds. He is the first athlete in NCAA history to win the 60-meter hurdle indoors and then win the 400-meter hurdle outdoor.
July
July 27
Claressa Shields – Boxing and MMA
Shields, who already refers to herself as the “Greatest Woman of All Time” in combat sports, is the most dominant fighter in recent memory regardless of gender. Shields is 15-0 in the boxing ring, and she is one of four boxers in the sport’s history to hold all four major titles in two separate weight classes. On July 27 Shields defeated Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in a round two knockout, adding three more title belts to her long list of accomplishments. Since Oct. 2022, Shields has been ranked as the number one pound for pound boxer.
Paris 2024 Olympics
July 26 – Aug. 11
Julien Alfred – 100-meter dash
Credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader
Julien Alfred returned to her homeland of Saint Lucia bearing the country’s first Olympic gold medal this year. Alfred defeated American sensation Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100-meter dash and claimed the silver medal in the 200-meter dash on Aug. 3.
Noah Lyles – 100-meter dash
Lyles talks a big game, but at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games, he backed it up. The 200-meter specialist stepped down in distance and claimed gold for the United States in the 100-meter final on Aug. 4, narrowly out-leaning Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson and compatriot Fred Kerley. Lyles is the first American man to win the 100-meter dash in 20 years.
Jessika Gbai – 200-meter dash
Jessika Gbai, a 2022 Howard graduate, was one of the best stories to come out of the Paris Olympic Games. Gbai started off as a walk-on at Howard University in 2017 and progressed to the point where she was an All-American before leaving campus. Gbai began training professionally upon graduation and this past summer, Gbai made the Olympic final in the women’s 200-meter dash running for Cote d’Ivoire. Gbai finished eighth on Aug. 6.
Letsile Tebogo – 200-meter dash
Letsile Tebogo went from a Botswana hero to an international superstar after he defeated Lyles in his favorite and most dominant event – the 200-meter dash. Tebogo became the first African sprinter to ever win the 200-meter dash in Olympic history on Aug. 8. Tebogo also helped the Botswana 4×400 team claim a silver medal.
United States Men’s National Team – Basketball
Led by veterans Lebron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, the United States men’s national team proved why they are still the best roster in the world. Despite a close championship Aug. 10 matchup against France and a very competitive semi-final game on Aug. 8 facing off against two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, the U.S. national team triumphed in what is likely the aforementioned players’ last Olympic competition for the United States.
Quincy Wilson – 4×400 meter relay
Quincy Wilson, the Virginia native and Maryland resident, became the youngest male American track and field athlete to win an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Summer Games after being a member of the men’s 4×400 meter relay that won gold on Aug. 10. Prior to the Olympics, Wilson ran an under-18 world record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 44.20 seconds.
September
Aug. 28 – Sept. 9
US Open – Mixed Doubles
The mixed American duo of Taylor Townsend and Donald Young advanced to the final match of the 2024 US Open in mixed doubles play, but fell to Italian duo of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Townsend won her first Grand Slam title earlier in the year when she doubles at Wimbledon a month earlier alongside Katerina Siniakova.
October
Oct. 25 – Oct. 30
World Series – Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts and The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series after defeating the New York Yankees. The first game of the World Series took place on Oct. 25 between the Dodgers and the Yankees. The Dodgers would be crowned the top baseball team in the country on Oct. 30 after defeating the Yankees in five games, with the penultimate game score being 7-6. Former MVP Mookie Betts is the only active MLB player with three World Series titles. Betts’ teammate, Shohei Ohtani, took home the National League MVP this year.
November
Nov. 23
Tennessee State Tigers – Football
On Nov. 23 the historically Black institution, Tennessee State University, won their first conference title in football in school history after upsetting Southeast Missouri in the Big South/OVC Conference Championship game. They would advance to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time since 2013, but would fall to the Montana Grizzlies in the first round on Nov. 30.
December
Dec. 14
Jackson State University v. South Carolina State University
The Jackson State Tigers and South Carolina State Bulldogs, champions of the Southwest Athletic Conference and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference respectively, faced off in the Dec. 14 Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Bens Stadium in Atlanta. Jackson State would leave the game being crowned the “HBCU National Champions” after defeating the Bulldogs, 28-7. This was the Tigers first Celebration Bowl title in program history. They notably made it to the game twice in consecutive years led by former head coach Deion Sanders and his son Shedeur, but they fell short both times.
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