Here are the most-read ArizonaSports.com stories of 2022

Dec 30, 2022, 8:16 AM

BY ARIZONA SPORTS

January: Dan Bickley wrote that Kliff Kingsbury had to go after the Cardinals’ embarrassing 34-11 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Wildcard round. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

January: Suns head coach Monty Williams found Devin Booker’s All-Star Game vote count "laughable" after he was fifth among NBA guards behind Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic. Booker and teammate Chris Paul would be selected by head coaches as reserves for the game. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

February: The Arizona Cardinals in a statement said

February: A game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns that had Western Conference Finals vibes featured the Suns earning the clutch victory through their defense. The victory moved the Suns' record to 47-10 on the season. (AP Photo/Matt York)

March: Dan Bickley wrote that the Cardinals’ bizarre contract extensions meant one of two things, either Michael Bidwill had become very rich and very soft or Kyler Murray was much worse behind the scenes than we ever imagined. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

March: ESPN analyst and noted Seahawks follower Mina Kimes clapped back at the Cardinals and had Kyler Murray laughing after posting a picture of Murray taking batting practice with the Athletics. It was her response to the Cardinals ' Twitter account asking if she was good following the trade of Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)

April: A couple of New Orleans Pelicans fans showed up to a game in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs with

April: Devin Booker in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans didn't suit up in Game 3 due to a hamstring strain but still made his presence felt, giving a little shove to C.J. McCollum as he attempted to get a practice shot out of the corner and in front of Phoenix’s bench.

May: Dan Bickley wrote that the Suns’ humiliating 33-point loss in Game 7 to the Dallas Mavericks was one of the greatest collapses in NBA history. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

May: Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jeff Gladney died at the age of 25 on May 30 after being involved in a car accident. A first-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2020, Gladney signed with the Cardinals on March 17. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

June: Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins said 0.1% of ostarine being found in his system is what led to his six-game PED suspension at the start of the 2022 season, saying it's contamination and not something directly taken. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)

June: The Phoenix Suns tendered a qualifying offer to center Deandre Ayton, a procedural move for the team that allowed them to match any offer sheet the restricted free agent signed with another team. The Suns would later match a four year, $133 million contract from the Pacers to keep Ayton. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

July: Dan Bickley wrote that the Suns may have been the NBA’s last superteam after commissioner Adam Silver made it clear he wasn’t happy with Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant asking for a trade, saying NBA players need to honor their contracts. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

August: Arizona Cardinals WR Marquise Brown was arrested for criminal speeding after he was pulled over for going 126 mph while heading southbound on Loop 101 driving in an HOV lane. (MCSO)

August: Arizona Cardinals Kyler Murray was ranked 57th, ahead of Budda Baker at 67 and James Conner at 80, in the NFL Network’s Top 100 list of players as ranked by their peers prior to the 2022 season. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

September: Rehashing the DeAndre Hopkins trade between the Cardinals and Texans from 2020 still looks gloomy for Houston. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

September: ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst expected high bids for the rights to buy the Phoenix Suns and Mercury franchises from Robert Sarver. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media)

October: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins' time away from the football field came to an end after serving his six-week suspension for PEDs, made evident by his appearance in the locker room on Oct. 7. (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)

November: The Phoenix Suns unveiled a turquoise city edition uniform concept for the 2022-23 season, honoring Native communities indigenous to Arizona. (Photo via Suns.com)

November: The Arizona Cardinals fired run game coordinator and offensive line coach Sean Kugler in Mexico City for allegedly groping a woman. Kugler in a legal filing said he was fired due to a “miscommunication” or because of “mistaken identity.” (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)

December: Dan Bickley wrote that a season full of hard knocks saved its cruelest blow for Kyler Murray after the Arizona Cardinals QB suffered a non-contact knee injury in the first 71 seconds of a 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots on Dec. 12. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

December: The Arizona Cardinals announced on Dec. 14 that general manager Steve Keim was taking a health-related leave of absence from the team. (Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports)

It has been a rollercoaster year in Arizona sports.

From the crash and burn of the Arizona Cardinals after a hot start in 2021 to a historic regular season that turned into heartbreak for the Phoenix Suns, at times it has been tough being a fan in the Valley.

However, there have been a few bright spots.

Devin Booker was named First Team All-NBA for the first time in his career, highly-touted prospects in the Arizona Diamondbacks farm system started coming up and showing what could be a bright future and the Cardinals pulled a Draft Day trade that netted them Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.

Next year has quite a bit of unknowns:

What will the Cardinals do without quarterback Kyler Murray for at least nine months?

Will the Suns be able to not only continue being a threat in the Western Conference but finally win it all for the first time in franchise history?

Will the Diamondbacks’ young players take a step forward and move toward a playoff spot?

Will the Coyotes be able to secure a permanent home in Tempe?

As for now, check out the slideshow above for a recap of ArizonaSports.com’s most-read stories by month in 2022.

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