The Indiana Fever are giving Caitlin Clark a college reunion with a little international flare at the start of her second WNBA season.

“We couldn’t be more excited to play at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and we know Iowa fans will deliver an unforgettable homecoming for Caitlin,” Indiana Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf said in a statement. “Countless Hawkeye fans have become Fever fans, and we consider them family. That’s what will make this preseason matchup so special for us.”

Clark won all major national player of the year awards and led the Hawkeyes to the Final Four in back-to-back seasons (2023-2024) to close out her record-setting college career. She was then selected by the Fever with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and earned rookie of the year this past season after averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Clark expressed her approval for the additional Fever exhibition game in May with a one-word reaction on social media. She tweeted, ‘Yes,’ in response when the Fever’s official X account asked, ‘Iowa, are you ready?’

Clark has appeared in multiple playing venues in Iowa because of her popularity. The Hawkeyes played a preseason exhibition game against DePaul in October 2023 at Kinnick Stadium, home of the university’s football program, and set a new women’s basketball record when 55,646 were in attendance.

Tickets for the Fever preseason game in May against the Brazilian National Team will be sold through the school, with more information to come at a future date.

This will be the first time in franchise history Indiana plays a game at Iowa, and team officials aren’t shying away from the dynamics that have led to their first visit. They described Carver-Hawkeye Arena as being, ‘known for its electric atmosphere and winning moments from No. 1 draft pick and former Hawkeye, Caitlin Clark’ in its news release announcing the matchup.

Perhaps she has one more thrill in store for the fans that helped turn her into a national phenomenon.

The countdown to next month’s 4 Nations Face-Off is ramping up with captains being named on Thursday and rosters being adjusted because of injuries.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will be the U.S. captain, while the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, Florida Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Victor Hedman will lead Canada, Finland and Sweden, respectively.

Sweden made a roster change this week, replacing injured New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom with the Philadelphia Flyers’ Samuel Ersson.

Canada will have to replace Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who withdrew to rest an injury and prepare for the rest of the season.

Finland will have to replace Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who’s week to week and getting an additional test after Vegas’ Mark Stone fell into his leg during a recent game.

The tournament — featuring NHL players from the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden — will run from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.

Here are the updated rosters, leadership teams, schedule and broadcast information for the 4 Nations Face-Off:

USA 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Initial six players (listed alphabetically)

F Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
D Adam Fox, New York Rangers
D Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
D Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins

Rest of the roster

F Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
F Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
F Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
F Chris Kreider, New York Rangers
F Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
F J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks
F Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
F Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
F Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
D Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
D Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights
D Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
D Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
G Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
G Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

Captain: Matthews. Alternate captains: Matthew Tkachuk, McAvoy

Canada 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Initial six players

F Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
F Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
F Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

Rest of the roster

F Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers
F Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
F Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
F Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
F Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
D Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
D Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
D Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas Golden Knights (won’t play, replacement not named yet)
D Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers
D Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights
D Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche
G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
G Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens

Captain: Crosby. Alternate captains: McDavid, Makar

Finland 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Initial six players

F Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
F Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
F Mikko Rantanen, Carolina Hurricanes
D Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars (won’t play because of injury; replacement not named yet)
D Esa Lindell, Stars
G Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators

Rest of the roster

F Joel Armia, Montreal Canadiens
F Mikael Granlund, San Jose Sharks
F Erik Haula, New Jersey Devils
F Roope Hintz, Dallas Stars
F Kaapo Kakko, Seattle Kraken
F Artturi Lehkonen, Colorado Avalanche
F Anton Lundell, Florida Panthers
F Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens
F Eetu Luostarinen, Florida Panthers
F Teuvo Teravainen, Chicago Blackhawks
D Jani Hakanpaa, Toronto Maple Leafs
D Niko Mikkola, Florida Panthers
D Olli Maatta, Utah Hockey Club
D Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers
D Juuso Valimaki, Utah Hockey Club
G Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver Canucks
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Buffalo Sabres

Captain: Barkov. Alternate captains: Aho, Granlund, Rantanen

Sweden 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Initial six players

F Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
F William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
F Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers
D Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins

Rest of the roster

F Viktor Arvidsson, Edmonton Oilers
F Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils
F Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks
F Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota Wild
F William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights
F Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings
F Elias Lindholm, Boston Bruins
F Gustav Nyquist, Nashville Predators
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings
D Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames
D Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild (currently injured)
D Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
D Mattias Ekholm, Edmonton Oilers
G Samuel Ersson, Philadelphia Flyers (replaces injured Jacob Markstrom)
G Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild
G Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators

Captain: Hedman. Alternate captains: Ekholm, Erik Karlsson, Nylander

4 Nations Face-Off schedule, TV

(Times p.m. ET)

Wednesday, Feb. 12:  Canada vs. Sweden at Montreal, 8, TNT
Thursday, Feb. 13: USA vs. Finland at Montreal, 8, ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 15: Finland vs. Sweden at Montreal, 1, ABC
Saturday, Feb. 15: USA vs. Canada at Montreal, 8, ABC
Monday, Feb. 17: Canada vs. Finland at Boston, 1, TNT
Monday, Feb. 17:  Sweden vs. USA at Boston, 8, TNT
Thursday, Feb. 20: Championship game at Boston, 8, ESPN

The international figure skating community was in shock Thursday as more details emerged about the tragic plane crash near Washington, D.C. that authorities fear has no survivors.

The exact number of victims with figure skating ties is still unknown, but the entire sport was already grieving a loss that had echoes to the 1961 plane crash that killed the U.S. figure skating team as it traveled from New York to Brussels, Belgium for the world championships.

U.S. Figure Skating said the skaters on Wednesday’s flight were returning from a national development camp that followed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this past weekend in Wichita, Kansas.

Doug Zeghibe, the chief executive for the Skating Club of Boston, said in a briefing Thursday that ‘to the best of our knowledge,’ 14 skaters returning from the development camp in Wichita were involved in the crash, including two coaches and two teenage skaters from his club and their moms.

The devastating toll this flight took on the figure skating community became more evident as reactions from the sport’s biggest names began to trickle out on social media. Former Olympic silver medalist Ashley Wagner, former Olympic gold medalist and NBC figure skating analyst Tara Lipinski and her NBC partner and former figure skater Johnny Weir were among those to post their thoughts and prayers on Instagram.

Wagner posted a message on her Instagram Story that read: “My heart breaks for my skating family today. I can’t put into words what this feeling is – I’m horrified, heartbroken, devastated and shocked. It makes you realize that ‘my heart goes out to’ and ‘condolences to the families’ simply are not enough.”

Lipinski shared a screenshot of a news article by People with a message on her Instagram Story: ‘It’s unimaginable the loss. We will mourn their loss and ALWAYS remember them. My heart is with all the families affected- that part I have no words for. “Strength” and “love” won’t do it justice. So many of our own were on this tragic flight and my heart aches, for them and for everyone part of this devastating accident.”

Johnny Weir also posted his reaction on Instagram Story. Included with a screenshot of a BBC news article was the following message: “I’m praying for everyone affected by this tragic accident. Members of our skating family were on that flight returning home from Nationals in Wichita. We mourn their loss and pray for their families & loved ones.”

Wednesday’s crash also prompted a response from former Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. She was left stunned just like everyone else affiliated with the sport.

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said in a statement offering condolences that some on board the flight may have been Olympians. Reigning world and national champion men’s figure skater Ilia Malinin wrote on Instagram: ‘I’m heartbroken by the tragic loss of my fellow skaters in this devastating accident. The figure skating community is a family, and this loss is beyond words.’

‘I’ve never seen someone love skating as much as these two, and that’s why I think it hurts so much,’ Kerrigan said of Lane and Hahn. ‘… When you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it’s even a bigger blow.’

Zeghibe said Spencer Lane and Jinna Hahn were the teenage figure skaters from the Skating Club of Boston involved in the crash. Lane’s mother, Molly Lane, and Hahn’s mother, Jin Hahn, were also on the flight. The coaches were Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, former Russian world champion figure skaters who were married.

‘This will have long-reaching impacts for our skating community,’ Zeghibe told reporters.

There was a moment that happened not so long ago in the multi-billion-dollar, cutthroat athletic shoe business you may not have heard about. In many ways, it was seismic. In all ways, it was another example of the almost unparalleled greatness of Candace Parker.

Parker in May was named the first-ever president of women’s basketball at Adidas. It was a move that wasn’t heavily covered at the time but was nonetheless important. It was another moment, stacked on top of many others, which represented the continuation of the dominance of women’s sports.

“From high school to college to playing pro to now, this appointment by Adidas symbolizes a shared commitment to making impactful change and setting new benchmarks for the future of women’s sports,” Parker said in a statement at the time. “It’s not just about products; it’s about fostering a movement focused on innovation, representation, and access.”

The move by Adidas also represented something else. It was another indicator of what Parker means to American sports. She remains one of the most impactful athletes this country has ever produced. On the court, her career is almost unmatched. Off of it, she’s had a similar type of influence as Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal.

Yet she isn’t as appreciated for all of the remarkable things she’s done as her male counterparts. Her legacy is the quietest of our superstars. We should all be blaring her name from the rooftops. Shame on us for not doing that.

And Parker is at it again.

Bill Haslam, the chairman of the Nashville Predators, who is also the former Tennessee governor, along with his wife Crissy, are attempting to bring an expansion WNBA team to Nashville, The Tennessean exclusively reported on Thursday morning. The bid was submitted to the league on Jan. 30, and if successful, the team would begin play in the summer of 2028 at Bridgestone Arena.

One of the named partners in the bid is, yeah, you guessed it, Candace Parker.

This project is likely extremely personal for Parker. The proposed team name is the Tennessee Summitt named after legendary coach Pat Summitt. She coached the Volunteers for 38 years and won eight national titles. Parker played for Summitt and the late coach is one of Parker’s heroes.

“Tennessee is the DNA of everything women’s basketball stands for,” Parker said in a statement. “I’m excited to be a part of the group working to bring a WNBA team to the state and honor Coach Summitt’s legacy.”

Over the years, Parker has spoken about Summitt’s influence on her. Parker recently said this about both Summitt and Parker’s father: ‘They knew what buttons to push, they knew when to back off. They knew when to question. Because if you question whether I can do something, I’m going to stay up all night, all day, trying to prove to you that I can.’

“I think coach Summit’s leadership style was she listened, she empowered her players, and she didn’t treat every player the same. She treated us with the same respect,” Parker said.

“We just clicked, and she just became like a second mom to me,” Parker has also said. “Every time I’m tired, I can hear her saying, ‘You’ve never arrived.’ You are always working towards something, and what got you to this point isn’t going to be what keeps you here … That’s the story I always remember about her, and it’s a story that continues to guide me.”

What emerged from Tennessee was a driven, formidable, exceptional human being. Parker remains one of the more important figures in sports who doesn’t get the credit she deserves.

Now, she could also be part of a new WNBA team.

If this works, they will be lucky to have her.

Ilia Malinin, the reigning world and national champion in men’s figure skating, joined other prominent members of the figure skating community in offering his condolences to those affected by the fatal collision between a plane and a military helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday.

‘I’m heartbroken by the tragic loss of my fellow skaters in this devastating accident,’ Malinin wrote on Instagram. ‘The figure skating community is a family, and this loss is beyond words. My thoughts are with their families, friends and everyone affected. We will never forget them.’

U.S. Figure Skating has said in a statement that ‘several members’ of its community were aboard the flight, which was inbound from Wichita, Kansas – the site of last week’s national figure skating championships. Malinin, 20, lives and trains in Northern Virginia but was not aboard the flight.

He won his third consecutive national title during the weekend, clinching the victory by landing six quadruple jumps in his long program Sunday. It is unclear when or whether he traveled back to the Washington area.

The Washington Figure Skating Club, of which Malinin is a member, wrote in a statement that it is ‘devastated’ by the news.

‘More information will be posted when appropriate,’ the club said.

Details were still emerging early Thursday morning about the victims of the crash, in which a passenger plane with 64 people aboard collided with an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport. Authorities said Thursday that they had recovered 28 bodies from the scene and do not believe there are any survivors.

Doug Zeghibe, the chief executive of the Skating Club of Boston, said in a statement that six people affiliated with his club were on board the flight, including two teenage skaters, their mothers and two coaches. The coaches, married couple Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, won the 1994 world championships as pairs figure skaters for Russia before moving to the United States.

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This story has been updated with new details.

Two media sites that reported a figure skater had avoided a crash that killed 67 people after a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night said Thursday afternoon the skater had been booked on a flight for Atlanta, not Washington D.C., according to the Daily Beast and the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail originally reported the skater, Jon Maravilla, was supposed to be on the flight to Washington D.C. but corrected its story after the Daily Beast interviewed Maravilla. In an earlier version of its story, the Daily Beast also reported Maravilla was supposed to be on the flight to Washington D.C. but couldn’t board because his dog was too large – a false account that went viral.

The original account has been traced back to RIA Novosti, a Russian state-run agency. Multiple news outlets, following up on RIA Novosti’s report, cited images on Maravilla’s private Instagram story that read, ‘Not allowed past gate to board flight. Get me tf out of Kansas please.’

Apparently after deciding to drive, Marvilla posted at 12:23 p.m., ’14-hour journey begins.”

One of Maravilla’s Instagram accounts is listed as private and a second account did not have details related to the crash.

Maravilla, an American figure skater, and others were in Wichita to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships from Jan. 21-26.

US Figure Skating, the sport’s national governing body, issued a statement saying in part ‘several members of our skating community’ were on the flight.

The NBA is racing toward the All-Star break, as the fight for playoff spots tightens.

That’s felt most acutely in the Western Conference. With the Golden State Warriors’ victory Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, just four games separate the 11th seed and the fourth seed. That also means several teams could be active ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, when veterans who are acquired in deals can be the catalyst to push teams into contention.

In the East, things are only slightly more resolved, with the top three teams in the conference — the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks — seemingly firmly entrenched at the top.

Here are the winners and losers from Week 14 of the NBA season.

WINNERS

Phoenix Suns have been winning. Some issues persist.

Though the strength of schedule over this span hasn’t necessarily been impressive, Phoenix has been better recently, winning nine of its last 13 games. So, as the team continues its pursuit of Jimmy Butler, the Suns (24-22) are moving their way up the standings.

Yet, Wednesday’s loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves was emblematic of Phoenix’s issues; Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined for 61 points on 63.2% shooting, and Bradley Beal added 17 in 25 minutes off the bench. The other Suns starters — Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards and Tyus Jones — combined to go 7-of-22 (31.8%) from the floor. Simply put: depth and bench play will continue to be an issue, even if Butler comes into the organization.

Miami Heat find potential steal in rookie Kel’el Ware

As Butler misses time following his third suspension this month, the Heat have unlocked a potential disruptor in their lineup. Rookie 7-foot center Kel’el Ware has starred since being inserted into the starting lineup in a move that feels permanent. The 15th overall selection has bolstered Miami’s defense in the paint, and has allowed Bam Adebayo to slide to the power forward spot and be more of a roaming presence on defense.

Ware has also provided an easy lob target on offense and has range to space the floor. He’s averaging 16.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game over the last six. The Heat, however, are just 3-3 in that span, with losses to the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and to the Cavaliers Wednesday night — a game in which Ware struggled with Cleveland’s height.

Amen Thompson helps launch Houston Rockets surge

For most of his career, Amen Thompson — the fourth overall selection of the 2023 NBA draft — has been widely considered to be a high-energy, high-passion defensive stopper. That passion was on show when he threw Heat guard Tyler Herro to the court in a Dec. 29 game, leading to a two-game suspension.

But, since Thompson returned to the floor, he has also been an ultra-efficient finisher, shooting 56.7% from the floor and netting 18.5 points per game over that span. More importantly for Houston: the Rockets are 9-2 in the 11 games Thompson has played since the suspension.

LOSERS

Already in losing skid, Atlanta Hawks get more bad news

Atlanta has been streaky all season long, but this latest stretch has the potential to derail its season. The Hawks have lost six consecutive games — including two in a row to the Toronto Raptors — and the offense has been a mess. Over the last six games, Atlanta (22-25) is one of only two teams with an offensive rating less than 100, averaging just 98.4 points per 100 possessions; the Wizards are last at 95.6.

The Hawks announced that emerging star Jalen Johnson, who was averaging career highs in points (18.9), rebounds (10), assists (5), steals (1.6) and blocks (1) and was worthy of All-Star consideration, suffered a torn left labrum when he suffered a dislocated shoulder Jan. 23. He will have surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

Denver Nuggets stumble early in 5-game road trip

Denver has dropped the first three games of the trip, with losses against the Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and Knicks. The defense has been the issue; the Nuggets have given up 133, 129 and 122 points in those defeats, respectively.

In each loss, Denver has allowed its opponent to shoot at least 50% from the floor. Perimeter defense has been particularly careless. The Knicks and Timberwolves each laced 14 3-point attempts, while the Bulls drained 24; each team shot at least 41.2% from beyond the arc. It also hasn’t helped that Denver is averaging 16.3 turnovers per game during this stretch.

Washington Wizards sliding to new lows, again

Last season, Washington tied an ignominious franchise record when it lost 16 consecutive games, a mark originally set in the 2009-10 season. When the Wizards lost 16 in a row earlier this season, they became just the sixth team in NBA history to have losing streaks of at least 16 games in consecutive seasons.

They may become the first team to ever have two separate 16-game losing streaks … in the same season. The Raptors routed Washington Wednesday night, extending the team’s active losing streak to 15 games. That means the team has now lost 38 of its last 42 games.

The Wizards are on a back-to-back and will face the Los Angeles Lakers (26-19) Thursday. If they lose then, they’ll have to beat the Timberwolves Saturday on the road to prevent what would be a franchise record 17 consecutive losses.