24 incredible sports photos from Getty Images this week

The sports world makes for a beautiful palette but individual images can get lost in the constant shuffle. Here are the best Getty Images sports photos from this week.

Iowa Hawkeyes stand for the national anthem in the first-round game of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament against the Central Michigan Chippewas at the Alamodome on March 21, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas.

As sports photographers, we are always looking for anything that’s organic and tells a story, something that would represent itself in a compelling way. In this moment, I was still fumbling with a floor remote when the entire Iowa Hawkeyes team walked onto the court and joined hands. It’s rare to be unobscured to this type of symmetry and pulling in the reflection is something I am always keeping in the back of my mind when shooting on a court to highlight the stillness of the moment. While I always prefer to cover athletes from the low(hero) angle, I especially look for this vantage point in the women’s games. It’s always my hope to make captivating images that engage the viewer, and what I saw in front of me looked so aesthetic and powerful, I hoped the image would translate that.

— Carmen Mandato

Seen in a plexiglass reflection, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up in front of cardboard cutouts of fans before the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Moda Center on March 23, 2021, in Portland, Oregon.

As photographers, we are encouraged to find different moments aside from the game itself. Though it’s been a new challenge to photograph from the upper bowl of an arena due to COVID restrictions, we are testing new perspectives to stay creative. While I was photographing players warming up, I noticed the floor’s reflection in plexiglass that lined the bleacher stairs. If I squatted on the stairs in the right angle, I could position the reflection to only surround Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard as he made a perimeter shot. Ensuring that his figure was cleanly placed in the abstracted triangle while layering cardboard cutouts of fans around him, made for an interesting image that shows the pandemic’s toll on sport.

— Steph Chambers

Joe Wieskamp of the Iowa Hawkeyes drives to the basket as Oscar Frayer of the Grand Canyon Antelopes defends during the second half in the first-round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on March 20, 2021, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This photo is of Joe Wieskamp of the Iowa Hawkeyes driving to the basket against Oscar Frayer of the Grand Canyon Antelopes during a first-round game of the NCAA Men’s Tournament. During March Madness, we set up several remote cameras, often including one right in front of us as we are photographing. I love this angle because it shows off how high these players are able to jump on breakaways, as the rest of their teammates chase them down the court. Usually, there are much larger crowds behind them, but you can see a few of them here as capacity is limited due to COVID.

— Maddie Meyer

Erik Gustafsson of the Philadelphia Flyers battles Casey Cizikas of the New York Islanders for the puck during their game at Nassau Coliseum on March 20, 2021, in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

This photo is from a remote camera placed in a dashboard and shot through a specially cut piece of plexiglass. I fired the remote camera from the other end of the ice while I was sitting in my shooting position near New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin. This remote angle gives the viewer an up-close and personal view of the action as Erik Gustafsson of the Philadelphia Flyers and Casey Cizikas of the New York Islanders battle for the puck.

— Al Bello

Shaun White of the United States reacts after his final run in the men’s snowboard halfpipe final during Day 4 the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup at Buttermilk Ski Resort on March 21, 2021, in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

I was able to photograph Olympic gold medal snowboarder Shaun White at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup last week. This event is the first time in almost three years that White has competed after taking a break from competition. This photo was shot at the end of White’s third run during the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe Finals. White was celebrating after putting down a clean final run for the day. I had shot his two previous runs from the upper portion of the halfpipe, but for the third and final run, I wanted to be positioned at the bottom of the halfpipe so I could see White’s reaction if he put together a clean run. Everything together and despite White celebrating a great run, he finished the finals just off the podium. It was exciting to be there to photograph White back in competition again!

— Tom Pennington

Joe Bryant Jr. of the Norfolk State Spartans reacts after being defeated by the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first-round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 20, 2021, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Gonzaga defeated Norfolk State 98-55. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Dana Evans of the Louisville Cardinals reacts to a call during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on March 24, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers battle for a rebound against J.J. Murray and Abou Ousmane of the North Texas Mean Green in the first half of the first-round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 19, 2021, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Aubrey Griffin of the UConn Huskies reaches for a ball against Cydney Johnson #4 of the High Point Panthers during the second half in the first-round game of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on March 21, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Joe Pleasant of the Abilene Christian Wildcats is surrounded by teammates after his winning free throw to defeat the Texas Longhorns 53-52 in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 20, 2021, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Cameron Brink of the Stanford Cardinal reacts during action against the Utah Valley Wolverines in the first-round game of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on March 21, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Quentin Grimes of the Houston Cougars dunks the ball during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 21, 2021, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Julius Randle of the New York Knicks heads for the net as Dwight Howard of the Philadelphia 76ers defends in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden on March 21, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The Pittsburgh Penguins defend against the New Jersey Devils late in the third period at the Prudential Center on March 20, 2021, in Newark, New Jersey. The Penguins defeated the Devils 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 Axalta/EchoPark Automotive Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series EchoPark 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 20, 2021, in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 BodyArmor Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 21, 2021, in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Chloe Kim of the United States reacts after winning the women’s snowboard halfpipe final during Day 4 the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup at Buttermilk Ski Resort on March 21, 2021 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees looks on during a Spring Training game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 19, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Edmundo Sosa #63 of the St. Louis Cardinals leaps over Michael Conforto #30 of the New York Mets after making the throw to first base for the double play in the fourth inning of a spring training game at Clover Park on March 19, 2021, in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

Adam Scott of Australia plays his shot from the tenth tee during the first round of The Honda Classic at PGA National Champion course on March 18, 2021, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Caniggia Ginola Elva of FC Ingolstadt celebrates after scoring his team`s first goal during the 3. Liga match between FC Ingolstadt 04 and Waldhof Mannheim at Audi Sportpark on March 20, 2021, in Ingolstadt, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)

Players of Ferroviaria celebrates after winning the final of Women’s Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2020 between Ferroviaria and America at Jose Amalfitani Stadium on March 21, 2021, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Juan Ignacio Roncoroni – Pool/Getty Images)

Ondrej Kolar of Slavia Praha is challenged by Kemar Roofe of Rangers which leads to a red card being shown during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Second Leg match between Rangers and Slavia Praha at Ibrox Stadium on March 18, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. Sporting stadiums around Europe remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Andrew Milligan – Pool/Getty Images)

Nick Cotric and Corey Allan of the Bulldogs dive for the ball in the wet during the round two NRL match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Penrith Panthers at Bankwest Stadium, on March 20, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)