Photos that define Arizona Sports in 2014

2014 was an interesting year for Arizona’s sports scene.

Two teams (the Mercury and Rattlers) won championships, while another two (the D-backs and Coyotes) stumbled to less-than-stellar campaigns. The Suns surprised many and nearly made the playoffs, while the Cardinals won 11 games and secured a spot in the postseason.

The Arizona Wildcats football team reclaimed the Territorial Cup while also winning the Pac-12 South, while the Sun Devils had an excellent season in their own right, knocking off USC and Notre Dame in the process. Both schools’ basketball teams suffered heartbreaking losses in the NCAA Tournament.

There were also buzzer-beaters, beanings, crushing defeats and coaching hires.

All-in-all it was a pretty eventful 12 months for the state’s teams. Here are the photos that capture it all.