2022 marked another transformative year for basketball around the world.

The Golden State Warriors reminded fans why they are the preeminent dynasty of the last 15 years, returning to glory with an NBA championship. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Aces finally arrived, winning their first WNBA title in franchise history behind an MVP campaign from A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray's historic postseason.

Kansas captured a men's national championship and South Carolina reach the women's mountaintop. Spain outdueled superstars en route to a EuroBasket title. And we've now flipped back around to an NBA season with the most superstar and team parity the league has seen in ages.

Of course, this year also reminded us of basketball's intersection with facets — and flaws — of our society. Robert Sarver is out as owner of the Phoenix Suns after an investigation revealed a toxic workplace environment spearheaded by his own disciminatory acts. Ime Udoka is serving a coaching suspension with the Boston Celtics for his own team infractions involving a relationship with another member of the organization.

Brittney Griner spent 10 months in a Russian prison on minor drug possession charges before the U.S. government arranged an exchange to bring her home — a story rooted in tragedy, though we finally celebrated her return earlier this month.

Basketball News was there for it all, and captured the stories, highlights and nuances of the sport with feature reporting, film analysis, podcast storytelling and more. Take a look at some of our staff's best work this calendar year: