Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point has been ruled out of the 2026 Winter Olympics because of a lower-body injury. He is being replaced on Team Canada by the Carolina Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis.

Jarvis had played for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off but wasn’t part of the initial roster for the Olympic team.

Point, injured on Jan. 12, is the second Lightning player to be unable to go to Milan. Anthony Cirelli was hurt in the Stadium Series game and was replaced on Team Canada by Florida Panthers playoff MVP Sam Bennett, who also played in the 4 Nations.

The Lightning had a league-leading 10 Olympians but are now down to eight, falling behind the Panthers’ nine. The Panthers got injured Brad Marchand (Canada) and Anton Lundell (Finland) back in their last game.

The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild are tied with the Lightning with eight representatives.

Injury status on other NHL Olympians

Injured New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes isn’t playing on Thursday, but The Athletic reported he’s good to go for Team USA.

The Washington Capitals activated goalie Logan Thompson (Canada) from the injured list, and he started on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell (Sweden) is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins on March 4, with some exhibition games taking place a day earlier. The Dominican Republic, the 2013 champions, will once again be one of the most daunting teams in the tournament.

The DR disappointed in the most recent tournament, though, failing to make it past pool play in 2023. That could certainly change this time around as the team boasts a roster filled to the brim with elite MLB talent.

With all rosters revealed, here’s a full look at the players that will represent the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic roster

Pitchers

Albert Abreu
Sandy Alcantara
José Alvarado
Brayan Bello
Huascar Brazobán
Seranthony Dominguez
Camilo Doval
Carlos Estévez
Wandy Peralta
Dennis Santana
Luis Severino
Gregory Soto
Cristopher Sánchez
Edwin Uceta
Abner Uribe

Catchers

Agustín Ramírez
Austin Wells

Infielders

Junior Caminero
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Manny Machado
Ketel Marte
Geraldo Perdomo
Jeremy Peña
Amed Rosario
Carlos Santana

Outfielders

Oneil Cruz
Julio Rodríguez
Johan Rojas
Juan Soto
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Managers and Coaches

Albert Pujols (Manager)
Placido Polanco (Bench Coach)
Rene Rojas (Hitting Coach)
Wellington Cepeda (Pitching Coach)
Carlos Febles (Third Base Coach)
Jose Cano (Bullpen Coach)
Fleming Báez (Bullpen Catcher)
Ronny Perez (Bullpen Catcher)
Jorge Mejia (Assistant Hitting Coach)
Joel Peralta (Assistant Pitching Coach)

Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic schedule

Pool D play – LoanDepot Park in Miami

March 6 vs. Nicaragua, 7 p.m. ET
March 8 vs. Netherlands, 1 p.m. ET
March 9 vs. Israel, 1 p.m. ET
March 11 vs. Venezuela, 9 p.m. ET

MILAN — The 2026 Winter Olympics continued Thursday with more curling mixed doubles round robin matches, men’s Alpine downhill training and luge training runs. But women’s ice hockey entered the chat as well, highlighted by Hilary Knight and the U.S. women’s hockey team opening their Olympic slate against Czechia. Ski jumping also got in the mix with training runs, too.

Wednesday’s events were highlighted by a tremendous run in curling for American mixed doubles as well as a clutch set of runs in big air snowboarding by Ollie Martin. While the opening ceremony is still set for Friday, and the first medals can be won Saturday, Americans are already making waves in Milano-Cortina. Here is the full Winter Olympics schedule.

Lightning’s injured Brayden Point replaced on Team Canada

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point has been ruled out of the 2026 Winter Olympics because of a lower-body injury. He is being replaced on Team Canada by the Carolina Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis.

Jarvis had played for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off but wasn’t part of the initial roster for the Olympic team.

Point, injured on Jan. 12, is the second Lightning player to be unable to go to Milan. Anthony Cirelli was hurt in the Stadium Series game and was replaced on Team Canada by Florida Panthers playoff MVP Sam Bennett, who had played in the 4 Nations. – Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Network

Ollie Martin advances to big air final

LIVIGNO, Italy — Ollie Martin, the 17-year-old snowboarder making his Olympic debut, produced two clutch runs to reach to the men’s big air final on a night where his three American teammates weren’t able to advance with him.

Jake Canter, Red Gerard and Sean Fitzsimons of Team USA fell short of the top-12 finish needed to advance in the 30-man field. Each athlete had three runs, and the top two scores counted.

Martin finished with strong marks of 82.25 and 85.25 (total of 167.5) to jump past the cut line place after falling on his first attempt. By finishing ninth, he’ll be part of the 12 competitors in the Feb. 7 big air final.

Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara finished first with a score of 178.5.

All four Americans from the big air qualifying will be back to compete in the slopestyle competition later in these Olympics. – Gentry Estes, USA TODAY NETWORK

Men’s snowboard big air: Clutch run by Ollie Martin

Ollie Martin, the 17-year-old making his Olympic debut in the snowboard big air qualification, just came up with a huge run with a spot in the finals hanging in the balance. After a poor landing led to a bad score on his initial run of the competition, Martin logged scores of 82.25 and 85.5 on his final two runs to move into the top 12 at the moment.

Jake Canter has fallen outside the top 12 after a lackluster final run. Red Girard didn’t land his final jump and won’t advance to the final.

Chloe Kim called Shaun White for injury advice?!

Chloe Kim is no stranger to success at the Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, she suffered a serious injury with less than a month for these games. Looking for some advice on the matter, she turned to the most decorated Olympic snowboarder, Shaun White.

Per USA TODAY’s Mark Gianotto, ‘White mentioned Kim emphasized to him in their conversation how the injury would impact her potential practice time in Italy ahead of the start to the snowboarding events at the Games.’

Kim was able to recover, and is expected to compete in the women’s halfpipe event which begins on Wednesday, February 11.

Men’s snowboard big air results: Jake Canter, Red Girard still in qualifying position

Jake Canter will be in eighth place and Red Girard sits in ninth place after the first two runs of the qualification round. The top 12 will make the final after this third run, but Canter started the batch of third runs with a poor landing. His spot moving forward is in doubt.

Men’s snowboard big air update for Jake Canter, Red Girard, Sean Fitzsimons

LIVIGNO, Italy — Team USA snowboarders Red Gerard, Ollie Martin and Sean Fitzsimons each improved scores on the second of three runs at big air qualifying in Livigno, putting themselves closer to the top 12 (out of 30) finish it’ll take to advance to the final.

Jake Canter is still in the best position of the four Americans in the field, scoring a 71.25 to add on to his impressive 89 that led off the competition.

Gerard followed his opening 70.75 with an 83.50, while Martin (82.25) needed to a clean second attempt after falling while trying to land his first. Fitzsimons scored a 75.25 in his second run after opening with a 60.75. – Gentry Estes, USA TODAY NETWORK

Men’s snowboard big air: Jake Canter, Red Gerard, Sean Fitzsimons in contention

Americans Jake Canter and Red Girard each currently rank among the top five after the second run in the men’s snowboard big air qualifying. Sean Fitzsimons is currently hanging on in ninth place after a better second run. The top 12 after a third run qualify for the finals. Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara remains the leader following his second run.

Olympic curling results: Mixed doubles round robin session 4 scores

Canada 7, Italy 2
Switzerland 8, South Korea 5
Estonia 7, Sweden 5
Great Britain 8, Czechia 7

Men’s snowboard big air qualifying underway at 2026 Winter Olympics

LIVIGNO, Italy — Jake Canter started the men’s snowboard big air qualification with a bang.

The American put down a backside 1980 melon and the judges rewarded him with a 89.50. He finished the first of three qualifying rounds in third place.

His American teammates didn’t have as much luck. Ollie Martin, 17, could not land his 1800 backside Indy. Sean FitzSimons also struggled with his landing to put up a 60.75. And Red Gerard only put out a 1620 spin to receive a 70.75 (15th place).

The riders’ top two scores are combined and the top 12 of 30 advance to Saturday’s finals.  

China’s Su Yiming, a gold-medal contender, couldn’t land a backside 1800 nose grab. Italy’s Ian Mateolli gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about with his 93.75 run to finish the first round in first. Japan’s Hirato Ogiwara was second with a 90.50. – Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY Sports

Jannik Sinner is volunteering at 2026 Winter Olympics

What does a four-time tennis major winner do a week after reaching the semifinals of the 2026 Australian Open? Volunteer at the 2026 Winter Olympics, of course.

Former world No. 1 player Jannik Sinner was spotted as a volunteer for the Olympics in his home country of Italy. He is seen checking tickets for a train alongside Paralympic fencing champion Bebe Vio, who is also from Italy, in a social media video. 

Women’s hockey: USA 5, Czechia 1, Final

Team USA’s Hilary Knight scored in the opening game of her fifth Winter Olympics.

But she had plenty of help as the Americans routed Czechia 5-1 on Thursday, Feb. 5.

Second-time Olympian Hayley Scamurra scored twice and first-time Olympians Joy Dunne (goal), Tessa Jannecke (two assists) and Laila Edwards (one assist) also chipped in. Third-time Olympian Alex Carpenter scored the USA’s opening goal.

Knight’s goal was the 13th of her Olympic career. She’s now one goal away from tying Natalie Darwitz and Katie King (14) for the all-time U.S. Olympic women’s hockey lead. Check out the highlights here.

The USA will next face Finland, whose opening game against Canada was postponed because of a norovirus outbreak on the team. – Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports

End of second period: USA 4, Czechia 1

Big period there by Tessa Jannecke, who had two assists in her Olympic debut to give the USA a 3-0 lead. The United States had a chance to build on that lead with a power play, but Czechia killed it off, and Barbara Jurickova scored after coming out of the penalty box.

But Hilary Knight restored the USA’s three-goal lead with a power move for her 13th career Olympic goal, one shy of tying the U.S. record. The Americans will start the third period short-handed.

Lindsey Vonn set to start training run with torn ACL

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Lindsey Vonn will start 10th in an all-important training run Friday. 

Vonn plans to ski at the Milano Cortina Olympics despite a torn ACL, bone bruise, and meniscus damage in her left knee from a Jan. 30 crash. She said Tuesday that she’d gone skiing and her knee had held up fine, but acknowledged the official training runs would be the true test. 

There will be another training run on Saturday before Sunday’s downhill race. The first training run, which was supposed to be Thursday, was canceled because of heavy snow in Cortina on Wednesday. 

Vonn is one of six U.S. skiers who will participate in the training run. Breezy Johnson will start ninth, Jackie Wiles 20th, Keely Cashman 26th, Bella Wright 29th and Mary Bocock, the only Olympic rookie on the U.S. women’s ski team, will start 41st.  – Nancy Armour, USA TODAY Sports

Vice President JD Vance in attendance

Vice President JD Vance and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio are on hand at the Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Milan to cheer on the U.S. women’s national hockey team against Czechia. Vance and Rubio entered the arena with their entourage, with about six minutes remaining in the first period.

Women’s hockey: USA 1, Czechia 0, End 1

The USA had the first five shots of the game and Czechia the next three.

The USA broke through on a power play when Alex Carpenter tipped in a Megan Keller shot at 15:55 for the lone goal of the period. Shots are 14-3 in favor of the USA.

Weather dispatch from Italy. Warm? Cold? Wet? Snowy? All of the above!

Alpine skier rooting for the Patriots in Super Bowl 60

Vermont’s Ryan Cochran-Siegle is considered Team USA’s best hope for a medal in men’s alpine skiing at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

He’s also a big fan of the New England Patriots.

Those facts will clash in the coming days. Cochran-Siegle is set to compete in the men’s team combined slalom on Feb. 9 in Bormio. That’ll be the day after the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks meet in a Super Bowl that’ll transpire in the middle of the night in Italy.

Competing in the Olympics on a lack of sleep isn’t advisable, meaning that Cochran-Siegle “unfortunately” said he isn’t planning to watch the game live.

‘I’ll probably just be sleeping in my Drake Maye jersey hoping that they are scoring lots of touchdowns,” Cochran-Siegle said.

On Feb. 4, Cochran-Siegle posted the top training time ahead of the Feb. 7 downhill event in Bormio, boosting hopes that he can build off the Super-G silver medal he won in 2022.

Nonetheless, much of a Feb. 5 media Zoom call with members of the U.S. men’s alpine team had to do with the Patriots. Cochran-Siegle’s teammate, Sam Morse, is from Maine, and he said that he will be able to stay up and watch.

“I definitely want to cheer on the Pats,” Morse said.

Cochran-Siegle, meanwhile, showed an impressive knowledge of football when asked to dig into his thoughts on the Patriots’ season. He shouted out first-year New England coach Mike Vrabel for “his ability to build that culture of really bringing the team in.”

Asked if he really brought a jersey of the team’s quarterback with him, Cochran-Siegle immediately held up a Maye jersey for the camera.

“They’ve had an awesome run,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure to be a Patriots fan this year.” – Gentry Estes, The Tennesseean

Olympic curling results: USA keeps rolling in mixed doubles

The United States mixed doubles curling team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin continued their winning ways in the round-robin portion of the competition. The Americans beat Switzerland 7-4.

Earlier in the day, the team started play with an 8-6 win over Norway on Day 2 of the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Can athletes find love at the Olympics?

The 24-year-old from Lake Placid, New York, isn’t picky. She’s open to sip cappuccinos with fans. She’s down to swig Aperol spritzes with fellow athletes.

Kirkby is making her Olympic debut in a brand new event: Women’s doubles luge. Once she and partner Chevonne Forgan finish competing Feb. 11, Kirkby will open up her heart and her dating app profiles. She hopes the following two weeks will provide “crazy stories” to document via journaling and social media posting.

“My married women, my girl friends and my fellow single ladies, I will be there for them to live vicariously through me. Because I, too, am curious. How does an Olympian date?” − Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal

Graphics: How Olympic curling works

Curling has been an Olympic staple for more than a century − it was one of the original sports featured in 1924 when the first Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France.

This year’s competition will be hosted at Italy’s Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, a venue built in 1955 for the Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956 Olympic Winter Games.

The sport, sometimes referred to as ‘chess on ice,’ is characterized by the strategic delivery of granite stones across ice using a broom. The goal is for players to transport the stone to a target circle, referred to as ‘the house.’

Check out USA TODAY’s animated graphics describing the rules, scoring, equipment, strategy and more. − Veronica Bravo, Carlie Procell, Cydney Henderson

Vonn continues to amaze in workout video

Lindsey Vonn is able to do things with a busted knee that regular people can’t when fully healthy.

The 41-year-old posted a video of herself Thursday, Feb. 5 doing squats, side lunges, lifting weights, jumping and kicking her feet against a stability ball. The only sign of the torn ACL, bone bruise and meniscus damage in her left knee is the brace she’s wearing.

‘I’m not giving up,’ Vonn said in the Instagram post, ‘working as hard as I can to make it happen!’ − Nancy Armour

Virus outbreak postpones Canada-Finland hockey

Thursday’s preliminary women’s hockey matchup between Finland and defending Olympic champion Canada has been postponed following a norovirus outbreak among the Finnish team, the 2026 Milano Cortina organizing committee announced Thursday afternoon, hours ahead of the originally scheduled puck drop.

The match will now played Thursday, Feb. 12, at 8:30 a.m. ET.

The announcement came shortly after an afternoon practice session where only 10 players from Finland’s 23-woman roster were present. The remaining 13 players were either sick with norovirus or quarantined. − Cydney Henderson

US women’s hockey begins quest for gold

The U.S. women’s hockey team’s pursuit for its first Olympic gold medal since 2018 begins today with a preliminary matchup against Czechia.

The U.S. women won silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but are clear favorites to claim gold after winning a World Championship title in April and sweeping Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series in December to close out the year.

The Americans are the top seed in Group A, which also features reigning Olympic champion Canada.

Follow the action live, with the opening faceoff set for 10:40 a.m. ET. − Cydney Henderson

USOPC security chief: ‘No ICE agents’ at Olympics

After hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Milan to protest the announcement that ICE officers would be accompanying the American delegation to the Milano Cortina Winter Games, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said Thursday there aren’t any ICE agents in Italy with Team USA.

“I can tell you unequivocally, there are no ICE agents that are part of the team USA delegation on the ground here in Milan,” said Nicole Deal, Chief of Security and Athlete Services for the USOPC. “When it comes to securing major events, a lot of people don’t know what the capabilities and the resources that are needed, so there’s a lot of misinformation and assumptions that are made.’

Deal’s comments contradict what government officials previously said, that the U.S. immigration agency would assist in security operations for these Olympics, as it has done in the past. − Jordan Mendoza

Olympics schedule today

All times Eastern.

4:05 a.m.: Curling – Mixed Doubles Round Robin | Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)

GBR vs. EST; SWE vs. CZE; NOR vs. USA; KOR vs. ITA

5:30 a.m.: Alpine Skiing – Men’s Downhill 2nd Official Training | Stelvio Ski Centre (Bormio, Valtellina)
6:10 a.m.: Ice Hockey – Women’s Preliminary | SWE vs. GER | Milan Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
8:30 a.m. & 9:27 a.m.: Luge – Men’s Singles Official Training (Runs 3-4) | Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:35 a.m.: Curling – Mixed Doubles Round Robin  | Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)

USA vs. SUI; NOR vs. CAN

8:40 a.m.: Ice Hockey – Women’s Preliminary (Italy vs. France) | Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
10:40 a.m.: Ice Hockey – Women’s Preliminary (USA vs. Czechia) | Milan Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
11 a.m.: Luge – Women’s Singles Official Training (Runs 1-2) | Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
11 a.m.: Ski Jumping – Women’s NH — Official Training 1 | Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium (Predazzo)
1:05 p.m.: Curling – Mixed Doubles Round Robin  | Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)

CAN vs. ITA; SUI vs. KOR; EST vs. SWE; CZE vs. GBR

1:30-3:45 p.m. : Snowboarding – Men’s Big Air Qualifying Runs 1, 2 and 3 | Livigno Snow Park (Livigno, Valtellina)
2 p.m.: Ski Jumping – Men’s NH Official Training 1 | Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium (Predazzo)
3:10 p.m.: Ice Hockey – Women’s Preliminary | FIN vs. CAN | Milan Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)

2026 Winter Olympics TV schedule today

Peacock is streaming every event live today.

Steam Olympics on Peacock

Olympic curling results

The American mixed doubles team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin rallied to defeat Norway, sending the 2022 silver medalists to 0-2 at this year’s Games. Cory and Korey get a brief break before facing Switzerland at 8:35 a.m. ET.

Elsewhere during round robin play, hosts Italy defeated South Korea (8-4), Sweden beat Czechia (7-4) and Great Britain handled Estonia (10-5).

Olympic Alpine skiing results

The U.S. men are saving their best runs for the downhill race.

No American was in the top 15 in Thursday’s training run. Kyle Negomir was the fastest, in 19th place, and his time of 1:55.1 was more than two seconds behind Italy’s Mattia Casse. Bryce Bennett and Ryan Cochran-Siegle were 27th and 28th, Sam Morse was 30th and River Radamus was 33rd.

Cochran-Siegle, a three-time Olympian who took silver in the super-G at the 2022 Olympics, posted the fastest time in the first training session on Wednesday. He finished third in downhill last weekend in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and was second in the downhill at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December. He’s traditionally done well in Bormio, his only World Cup win coming there in super-G in 2021.

The Americans weren’t the only ones taking it easy. Several of the top racers, including much of the mighty Swiss contingent, were clearly coasting as they approached the finish line.

Italians posted the top three fastest times of the day: Casse (1:52.85), Florian Schieder (1:53.30) and Giovanni Franzoni (1:53.72).

There is one more training run Friday before Saturday’s downhill race.  — Nancy Armour

Alysa Liu gets US Figure Skating nod for women’s short program team event

U.S. Figure Skating has selected its lineup for the first day of the team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The biggest decision was the women’s short program, with Alysa Liu getting the selection in what felt like a toss-up between the reigning world champion and 2026 U.S. national champion Amber Glenn. Liu’s short program to Laufey’s ‘Promise’ is a strong performance, but it could have gone to Glenn with her ‘Like a Prayer’ by Madonna routine. Now, Glenn could be set up to be in the free skate portion of the team event, which is Sunday, Feb. 8. — Jordan Mendoza

Olympic Alpine skiing results

Americans Kyle Negomir (1:55.10), Bryce Bennett (1:55.75) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (1:56.04) finished up their second training runs, and currently sit in 17th, 24th and 25st place, respectively.

Several of the top skiers appeared not to be going all out in this, the second of two training runs. Overall leader Marco Odermatt of Switzerland looked decidedly nonchalant, standing up as he approached the finish line rather than being in an aerodynamic tuck as he would in a race. France’s Alban Elezi Cannaferina even did a snowboard-style twist of his legs after he went over the final jump on the course. 

Italy currently has the top three spots, and four of the top five.

Where are Winter Olympics 2026?

The Winter Olympics always sprawl because of the need for mountains. But the Milano Cortina Games are the most geographically spread out in Olympic and Paralympic history, with a footprint just slightly smaller than the entire state of New Jersey.

When is Olympics opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony is Friday, Feb. 6, starting at 2 p.m. ET and lasting around three hours. This year’s opening ceremony will be held at San Siro Stadium in Milan, a 100-year-old venue that will now play host to the likes of Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and athletes from more than 90 countries around the world. Officials previously announced an inclusive theme featuring a show inside the stadium as well as ‘satellite events’ in Olympic territories.

MILAN — As the United States enters an Olympic Games in the midst of the Trump Administration’s volatile foreign policy, leaders of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee said Thursday they emphasized in pre-Olympic meetings that they are ‘partners’ with sports leaders around the world.

‘I think the United States is very important to the future of the Olympic movement and the Paralympic movement,’ USOPC president and chair Gene Sykes said, ‘and we try to conduct ourselves with respect and humility when we’re dealing with the entire world, because that’s the appropriate way to behave when we’re in the Olympic and Paralympic movement. 

‘That message and that tone is something that we feel Team USA really needs to provide to the world. That’s how we want to conduct ourselves on the world stage, and so we’re very committed to that, and I’m quite proud to be part of that effort with my colleagues (in USOPC leadership), and honestly, all of Team USA.” 

In words and action, U.S. Olympic officials have distanced themselves from the most controversial decisions of the Trump administration, without mentioning President Trump by name.

When asked about reports of ICE agents on the ground in Milan, USOPC Chief Security Officer Nicole Deal quickly offered a rebuttal. 

‘I could tell you unequivocally, there are no ICE agents that are part of the Team USA delegation on the ground here in Milan,” she said. ‘I am not aware that there are ICE agents here. And I think when it comes to securing major events, a lot of people don’t know what the capacities and capabilities and the resources that are needed (are). So there’s a lot of misinformation and assumptions that are made. And I think this inaccuracy that ICE is here on the ground, securing the Games, was one of those. So I’m glad we’re able to set the record straight and provide on-the-ground truth that ICE is not part of the Team USA delegation.’

Asked later if ICE agents are part of the U.S. embassy or diplomatic mission here, Deal replied, ‘I can’t speak on behalf of the State Department or the embassy.”

On Sunday, USA TODAY Sports reported the U.S. national governing bodies of three of the top winter sports — figure skating, ice hockey and speedskating — changed the name of their hospitality space from The Ice House to The Winter House in an attempt to avoid potential controversy after protests against ICE in both the United States and Milan. 

Sykes, who also is an International Olympic Committee member, spoke at length about the United States’ responsibility to the worldwide Olympic movement.

‘One of the things that I wanted to make sure I did and we did,’ Sykes said, “was to remind my fellow (IOC) members from around the world that in a period when there’s a lot of geopolitical turmoil and lots of questions about how long-term relationships are valued or not valued in the international environment, that all of us in the United States who work on the Olympic and Paralympic Games, all the efforts around it, are a community who have been in this, and our predecessors behind us, for well over a century.

‘We’re dedicated to it, we’re professionals, we’re serious about it, and we conduct ourselves as partners with all of the other people around the world who do this for their professional lives. We take our responsibilities very seriously, and we’re their partners. And I think that was very reassuring.” 

SAN JOSE, CA − Should the Seattle Seahawks have simply run the ball?

It’s a question that’s been posed countless times over the past decade-plus but has returned to the forefront with a vengeance this week as Seattle prepares to play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 − 11 years after the Seahawks’ stunning, controversial, pall-casting 28-24 loss to the Pats in their last Super Sunday appearance.

‘I know that’s a sore subject for a lot of people but, uh … we’ll say pass?’ current Seahawks QB Sam Darnold smiled when asked the question during Super Bowl Opening Night on Feb. 2. (Wrong answer, Sam.)

Said Seattle receiver Cooper Kupp: ‘I would say probably hand the ball off.’ (Bingo.)

Head coach Mike Macdonald had had about enough after fielding the same query from multiple media members Monday.

‘I think the more important question is how many times am I gonna get this question over the next three days?’ is where a slightly exasperated Macdonald landed.

It’s a fairly understandable response given the typical Groundhog Day patina of Super Bowl coverage. And that’s especially true given neither Macdonald, Darnold, Kupp nor anyone on the present roster was part of the Seattle team that so memorably failed in Super Bowl 49, a defeat that potentially precluded a Seahawks dynasty while breathing new life into the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady-era Patriots − who had not won a Super Bowl in 10 years prior to that magnificent escape act. (They would go on to capture two additional Lombardi Trophies over the following four years, bringing their total to six, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most won by a single NFL franchise.)

The laundry may be the same, but this weekend’s game hardly qualifies as a rematch. Yet Macdonald was asked again − sort of − on Feb. 4, the question repackaged in a way to suggest the 2025 Seahawks might be motivated to avenge the 2014 edition.

After a brief pause, Macdonald responded (with a laugh), ‘No. We haven’t talked about it once.’

If you’re even a semi-casual football fan, then you probably remember the particulars of the play in question. If not? Then consider this a learning experience as it kicks off my list of the 60 most memorable plays on Super Sunday going into Super Bowl 60:

1. Malcolm Butler’s INT

Pivotal. Shocking. Unforgettable. The Patriots’ undrafted rookie cornerback made the rarest of plays, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat by intercepting Seahawks QB Russell Wilson at the goal line with 20 seconds left to preserve the four-point win in Super Bowl 49.

‘I can’t believe the (play) call,’ NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, who will also call Super Bowl 60, said at the time. ‘You have Marshawn Lynch. You have a guy who’s been borderline unstoppable. … If I lose this Super Bowl because Marshawn Lynch can’t get into the end zone, so be it. So be it. I can’t believe the call.’

In the process, Butler derailed Seattle’s title defense a year after they’d won Super Bowl 48 in dominant fashion over Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos and launched a lifetime of second guessing for the legions who skewered coach Pete Carroll for not directing Wilson to hand off to Lynch, one of the most formidable backs in league history and a guy who’d already scored a touchdown and racked up 133 total yards in that game. Last, yet certainly not least, Butler saved Brady and coach Belichick from the narrative that they were ‘only’ 3-3 in Super Bowls to that point. Way to just “do your job,’ Malcolm Butler!

“It probably runs across my mind at least once a week,” Butler told USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell earlier this week. “I sit around the house, and I’m so grateful for all the things I’ve got. Even if I didn’t make that play, my life was going to be good, because I was always a hustler, a grinder, who is going to make things happen, no matter what. But that really changed my life.’

2. Roethlisberger-to-Holmes

What was better, QB Ben Roethlisberger’s precision strike to the back corner of the end zone – rifled through three Arizona Cardinals – or WR Santonio Holmes’ ability to snatch it while keeping his toes down as he fell out of bounds with 35 seconds on the clock? Beautifully executed all the way around, and it gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a then-record sixth Lombardi Trophy as they rallied for a 27-23 victory in Super Bowl 43.

3. David Tyree’s helmet catch

Most coaches would cringe if their quarterback threw into triple coverage in the middle of the field while scrambling amid a broken play. But that’s what New York Giants star Eli Manning did, and Tyree famously managed to pin the pass against his helmet on the other end of the 32-yard hookup with 59 seconds to go. Four plays later, Manning hit WR Plaxico Burress for the game-winning TD as the Giants shocked the previously undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl 42.

4. Montana-to-Taylor

The San Francisco 49ers’ game-winning march began with QB Joe Montana surveying the stands and asking teammates in the huddle, ‘Isn’t that John Candy?’ Joe Cool indeed. Eleven plays and 92 yards later, WR John Taylor caught the decisive 10-yard pass from Montana with 34 seconds to go as the Niners overcame the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 in Super Bowl 23.

5. Wide right

That’s where Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field-goal try (barely) missed with 4 seconds left in Super Bowl 25. The Giants hung on for a 20-19 win, and Buffalo would never get any closer to a title despite reaching Super Sunday three more times.

6. Mike Jones’ tackle

With the Tennessee Titans 10 yards away from a potential game-tying touchdown with 5 seconds to play in Super Bowl 34, Jones, an unheralded St. Louis Rams linebacker, limited WR Kevin Dyson to a 9-yard gain – just shy of the goal line – on the game-ending play.

7. Adam Vinatieri’s Super Bowl 36 field goal

On the final snap, the Patriots kicker split the uprights from 48 yards – he was celebrating before the ball went through – literally kick-starting the New England dynasty and completing one of the Super Bowl’s biggest upsets as the Pats knocked off the heavily favored ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ Rams 20-17. Vinatieri would drill an only slightly less dramatic FG in the final seconds two years later to beat the Carolina Panthers.

8. ’70 chip’

That was the play call by Washington, which trailed the Miami Dolphins 17-13, on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 17. The ball went to RB John Riggins, who, running behind his dominant ‘Hogs’ offensive line, ran through the tackle of DB Don McNeal before busting down the left sideline for a 43-yard touchdown the Fins wouldn’t overcome.

9. Tracy Porter’s pick-six

With QB Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31 yards from a game-tying touchdown with less than four minutes to go in Super Bowl 44, the New Orleans Saints corner swiped a pass intended for WR Reggie Wayne and set sail for a game-icing 74-yard TD.

10. James White in OT

The largely anonymous third-down back of the Patriots ran 2 yards to glory in the first Super Sunday overtime, capping New England’s epic comeback from a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51 while boosting his Super Bowl single-game record point total to 20.

11. Mecole Hardman in OT

The largely anonymous receiver of the Kansas City Chiefs caught the game-winning 3-yard TD pass from QB Patrick Mahomes − on a play called ‘Corn Dog’ − in the second Super Sunday overtime, K.C. securing back-to-back championships with its Super Bowl 58 triumph in Las Vegas.

12. We’re No. 1

Joe Namath’s raised index finger as he jogged off the Orange Bowl field after the New York Jets’ monumental upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3 said it all, especially after the MVP’s famous pregame guarantee that the 18-point underdogs would prevail.

13. Doug Williams’ comeback

The Washington quarterback crumbled to the turf while being sacked in the first quarter, his surgically repaired left knee hyperextended with his team trailing the Denver Broncos 10-0. But Williams would miss just two plays before launching four TD passes in the next period on his way to becoming MVP and the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl as Washington cruised to a 42-10 rout in Super Bowl 22.

14. James Harrison’s INT return

The Steelers pass-rushing linebacker dropped into coverage on a hunch and picked off Cardinals QB Kurt Warner at the goal line before a 100-yard tightrope sprint up the sideline for a TD completed what was at least a 10-point swing before halftime in Super Bowl 43, which Pittsburgh won by four points.

15. Terry Bradshaw KO’d

As he launched what would prove to be the decisive 64-yard TD pass to WR Lynn Swann in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 10, the chin of the Steelers quarterback was introduced to the helmet of Dallas Cowboys DL Larry Cole. Bradshaw was out before he hit the ground and wouldn’t play again in the game, but his throw earned Pittsburgh its second ring.

16. Isaac Bruce’s TD

It gets overshadowed by Jones’ tackle, but the Rams don’t win without Warner’s 73-yard TD pass to Bruce with 1:54 to go on St. Louis’ first play after the Titans had erased a 16-0 deficit.

17. Burrow bagged

Trailing 23-20 inside the final minute of Super Bowl 56, Bengals QB Joe Burrow was trying to pull one more rabbit out of the hat from midfield. Instead, Los Angeles Rams DL Aaron Donald burst through the line on what turned out to be Cincy’s final play, ragdolling Joey B. into a desperation incompletion that put the game on ice – Donald pointing to his ring finger, indicating where his new ice would be featured.

18. Favre-to-Rison

Vintage Brett Favre. On the Green Bay Packers’ second play of Super Bowl 31, the MVP quarterback called an audible before launching a 54-yard touchdown to WR Andre Rison streaking down the middle of the field. Favre sprinted after his receiver, helmet held aloft, and Green Bay was on its way to its first title in 29 years.

19. John Elway’s helicopter run

The 37-year-old Broncos quarterback, in desperate pursuit of his first title after being blown out in his first three Super Sunday starts, famously went airborne and was spun around by Packers defenders on an 8-yard third-quarter run that gave Denver a first-and-goal. It set up MVP Terrell Davis’ go-ahead TD run in Super Bowl 32, which the Broncos eventually won 31-24.

20. Mario Manningham’s catch

Four years after being victimized by Tyree, the Patriots fell prey to an amazing 38-yard completion from Eli Manning to Manningham with 3:39 to go on the Giants’ game-winning drive of Super Bowl 46. Manningham barely got his feet down at midfield, a play the Patriots unsuccessfully challenged.

21. Jackie Smith’s drop

The Hall of Fame tight end, wide open in the end zone, dropped a perfect pass from Cowboys QB Roger Staubach in Super Bowl 13 that would have knotted the game 21-21, prompting broadcaster Verne Lundquist to exclaim, ‘Bless his heart, he’s got to be the sickest man in America.’ Yep. The Cowboys would eventually lose to the Steelers 35-31.

22. 2-3 Jet Chip Wasp

Trailing by 10 with more than half the fourth quarter expired and facing a third-and-15 from his own 35-yard line in Super Bowl 54, Mahomes knew his team was backed into a corner. But he suggested this play, which required WR Tyreek Hill to run a late-developing route deep into San Francisco’s zone coverage. Mahomes took the snap and had to drop 14 yards into the pocket in order to evade the 49ers’ relentless pass rush, then heaved the ball toward Hill, who’d cut toward the sideline to find a soft spot in the zone. The result was a 44-yard completion that set up a Mahomes TD pass three plays later and opened the floodgates for K.C.’s belated 21-point outburst and first championship in 50 years.

23. Julian Edelman’s shoestring snatch

The Patriots’ slot man extraordinaire snared a ball that was deflected (and nearly intercepted) by Falcons CB Robert Alford microns above the turf, extending New England’s game-tying drive after the team had fallen behind by 25 points in the second half of Super Bowl 51. It was also a welcome turn of events to Pats fans, who’d suffered through script-flipping catches by Tyree and Manningham.

24. Jim O’Brien’s kick

The Baltimore Colts rookie saw his first extra-point try blocked and missed his initial field-goal attempt in a mistake-laden Super Bowl 5. But his 32-yard FG with 5 seconds left gave the Colts a 16-13 defeat of the Cowboys in the Super Bowl’s first truly dramatic moment.

25. ‘Philly Special’

It’s already earned its spot in Super Bowl lore as the enduring moment of the Philadelphia Eagles’ long-awaited Super Bowl 52 victory. However, QB Nick Foles’ 1-yard TD grab from TE Trey Burton off a reverse, on fourth-and-goal just before halftime, was really more gutsy than conclusive given the Patriots eventually overcame (temporarily) the 22-12 hole they fell into on the play.

26. The lights go out in New Orleans

With the 49ers trailing the Baltimore Ravens 28-6 in the third quarter of Super Bowl 47, half of the Superdome’s lights lost power, causing a 34-minute delay. The Niners surged back, eventually cutting the lead to two, before ultimately succumbing.

27. 49ers’ goal-line stand

Up 20-7 in the third quarter of Super Bowl 16, San Francisco turned the Bengals away three times from the 1-yard line, including LB Dan Bunz’s open-field tackle of Charles Alexander on a third-down swing pass. The 49ers would hang on 26-21 for their first title.

28. Ty Law’s pick-six

Decided underdogs against the Rams in 2002, the Patriots were hanging around in the second quarter, trailing 3-0. But Law pilfered a Warner pass down the right sideline intended for Bruce and, arm held high, raced 47 yards for a touchdown and 7-3 lead New England wouldn’t relinquish.

29. John Kasay’s errant kickoff

The Panthers had just tied Super Bowl 38 at 29-29 with 73 seconds to go. Then Kasay booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, putting Brady and the Patriots at their own 40-yard line. Six plays and 37 yards was all they needed to set up Vinatieri for the game winner.

30. Seahawks safety

On the first play from scrimmage in Super Bowl 48, Broncos C Manny Ramirez’s snap sailed over the head of Peyton Manning and into the end zone, giving Seattle a 2-0 lead. No one knew it then, but the game was essentially over as the Seahawks would score the first 36 points in a 43-8 laugher.

31. Garo’s gaffe

The Dolphins’ Cyprus-born kicker made the team’s bid for a 17-0 season too close for comfort in Super Bowl 7. Trying to give Miami a serendipitous 17-0 lead with less than three minutes to go, Yepremian’s 42-yard field-goal attempt was blocked. He unwisely tried to pass the ball after collecting the rebound, and it ended up in the hands of Mike Bass, who took it 49 yards for Washington’s only score.

32. Graham cracker

The play didn’t garner the cachet of the ‘Philly Special,’ but Eagles DE Brandon Graham’s strip sack of Brady with 2:09 remaining in Super Bowl 52 was the key (only?) defensive play on a day when the teams combined for an NFL record 1,151 yards of offense. Brady’s fumble occurred with New England trailing 38-33 and led to Philly’s game-icing field goal.

33. Ahmad Bradshaw’s TD mistake

The Giants tailback scored what proved to be a game-winning 6-yard TD with 57 seconds left in Super Bowl 46, which New York would win 21-17. However the Patriots let Bradshaw into the end zone in order to get the ball back to Brady – New York could have milked the clock before a chip-shot field goal – which he realized too late as he awkwardly fell into the paint. (The Packers used a similar tactic 14 years before, also unsuccessfully.) Ultimately, no harm, no foul for Bradshaw.

34. John Stallworth’s big catch

He’s often overshadowed by teammate Swann, but Stallworth’s 73-yard TD grab from Bradshaw in the fourth quarter finally put the Steelers ahead for good in what had been a nip-and-tuck Super Bowl 14 against the L.A. Rams.

35. Marcus Allen’s 74-yard TD

It was really icing on the cake as the Los Angeles Raiders took a 35-9 third-quarter lead over Washington in Super Bowl 18. But the MVP’s ability to find daylight after reversing his field on what looked like a doomed play had President Ronald Reagan quipping after the game: ‘I have already got a call from Moscow. They think Marcus Allen is a new secret weapon and they insist that we dismantle him.’

36. U2’s halftime show

It’s not universally regarded as the greatest intermission performance on Super Sunday … but it should be. Bono, Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton concluded their three-song set with ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ as the names of those killed on Sept. 11 just a few months prior scrolled on a scrim suspended from the Superdome’s roof. The 2001 terrorist attacks forced the NFL season to be temporarily suspended and ultimately moved Super Bowl 36 back a week, marking the first time the game was played in February.

37. Ambush

The play call of the Saints’ surprise onside kick by Thomas Morstead to start the second half of Super Bowl 44. New Orleans recovered and soon scored a go-ahead TD.

38. Vince Lombardi carried off

The iconic Packers coach, reviled by many of his players a decade earlier but eventually beloved, rode off the field on the shoulders of his charges, including G Jerry Kramer, as Green Bay won its fifth and final title of the 1960s by winning Super Bowl 2. It was Lombardi’s final game as the team’s coach.

39. Buddy Ryan carried off

The defensive coordinator of the famed 1985 Chicago Bears defense got the same treatment as head coach Mike Ditka after a 46-10 blowout of the Patriots in Super Bowl 20. It was emblematic of divided loyalties on a team that wouldn’t win another title after Ryan left to coach the Eagles.

40. Jerome Bettis leaves tunnel alone

The Hall of Fame running back was playing his final game in his hometown, Detroit, for Super Bowl 40. Bettis charged out of the tunnel for pregame introductions and, unbeknownst to him, LB Joey Porter held the rest of the Steelers back to give his teammate a special moment. Eventually realizing he was isolated on the field, a beaming Bettis beckoned his teammates to join him in a game they would win 21-10.

41. Super Bowl’s first TD

It was scored by Packers WR Max McGee, who was only playing because of an injury to teammate Boyd Dowler. McGee was less than 100% after a long night of partying, but you’d never know as he reached behind his back for an underthrown pass from QB Bart Starr on a 37-yard score that got Green Bay on course for a 35-10 win over the Chiefs.

42. Jacoby Jones’ heroics

Few had heard of him before he ended the Ravens’ final drive in the first half of Super Bowl 47 with a 56-yard TD catch. Jones then opened the second half with a record 108-yard kickoff return for a TD that gave Baltimore a 28-6 lead that proved too much for the 49ers … even with help from that power outage.

43. Whoops, Leon Lett

The mishaps of the Cowboys defensive tackle have overshadowed an otherwise sterling career. But we can’t forget that his showboating on a 64-yard fumble return in Super Bowl 27 enabled Bills WR Don Beebe to swat the ball out of Lett’s paw for a touchback just short of another Dallas touchdown. It prevented the triumphant Cowboys from scoring a game record 59 points.

44. 65 Toss Power Trap

Chiefs coach Hank Stram, famously mic’d up as NFL Films tried what was a new technique at the time, gleefully called the play that would result in a 5-yard Mike Garrett touchdown and a 16-0 lead in Super Bowl 4, which Kansas City would go on to win 23-7 against the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings.

45. Peace

46. Jack Lambert sticks up for teammate

Steelers K Roy Gerela had a rough Super Bowl 10, missing two field goals and an extra point. But when Cowboys S Cliff Harris patted Gerela on the helmet after his 33-yard misfire in the third quarter, Lambert – Pittsburgh’s menacing middle linebacker – flung Harris to the turf and stood over him. Dallas players later admitted Harris’ taunt infuriated the Steelers, who trailed 10-7 at the time but outscored Dallas 14-7 in the fourth quarter to prevail.

47. Wardrobe Malfunction

Admit it, Janet Jackson’s halftime ‘slip’ provided your most vivid memory of Super Bowl 38.

48. ‘Somebody take the monkey off my back!’

After throwing a Super Bowl record six TD passes (and finally escaping Montana’s considerable shadow), MVP Steve Young couldn’t contain his relief with this statement near the end of the 49ers’ 49-26 blowout of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl 29.

49. Jermaine Kearse’s catch

His miraculous, tumbling, 33-yard grab at the Patriots’ 10-yard line with 76 seconds to go seemed destined for a spot alongside Tyree and Manningham as surreal completions that would vanquish New England yet again. (Ironically enough, it was Butler whom Kearse beat in coverage.) Sadly for Seattle, Wilson’s next pass wasn’t nearly as effective.

50. John Mackey’s TD

The tight end got the Baltimore Colts back into Super Bowl 5 with a game-tying 75-yard TD from fellow Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas in the second quarter. The catch was memorable because it deflected off the fingertips of Colts WR Ed Hinton and Dallas CB Mel Renfro before settling into Mackey’s hands. The play would have been illegal at the time if Renfro had not touched it – and the Cowboys vehemently argued he didn’t in a game they would lose by three points.

51. Lynn Swann’s juggling catch

The 53-yard reception over Dallas’ Mark Washington was the prettiest of Swann’s four receptions in Super Bowl 10, when he earned MVP honors. However, as aesthetically pleasing as it was, the catch didn’t lead to any Pittsburgh points.

52. Gatorade shower

Still a novel celebration in 1987, it was first seen on Super Sunday when Giants LB Harry Carson, disguised in a security guard’s jacket, dumped the drink on coach Bill Parcells at the end of New York’s 39-20 Super Bowl 21 win.

53. Fridge scores

The ’85 Bears’ coronation in Super Bowl 20 was never in doubt, and DT William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry’s 1-yard TD run for a 44-3 lead in the third quarter may have been the crowning moment. Sadly, Ditka belatedly realized it came at the cost of providing legendary RB Walter Payton the Super Bowl score he had long dreamed of but wouldn’t realize.

54. Desmond Howard’s TD

His 99-yard kickoff return provided the final score in Green Bay’s 35-21 win in Super Bowl 31 and made him the only special teamer to win MVP honors.

55. Run, Willie, run

On the second play after halftime in Super Bowl 40, Steelers RB ‘Fast Willie’ Parker broke a 75-yard TD run, the longest in Super Bowl history, that would give Pittsburgh an insurmountable 14-3 lead over Seattle.

56. Devin Hester’s kickoff return

Few thought the Indianapolis Colts would kick to the Bears special teams ace, who had six TD returns in the 2006 regular season. But Hester took Vinatieri’s game-opening kickoff 92 yards to the house with the kicker flailing to stop him at the end of it. Unfortunately for Hester, he didn’t get another opportunity in a game Chicago lost 29-17.

57. Larry Fitzgerald’s almost day

It seemed the Cardinals star had capped an unforgettable postseason – he had 30 catches for 546 yards and seven TDs in four games – in style when his 64-yard catch-and-run TD with 2:37 to go in Super Bowl 43 gave Arizona its first lead. Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, he left Roethlisberger and Holmes too much time.

58. OBJ’s emotional day

Making his Super Sunday debut in Super Bowl 56, Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr. opened the scoring against Cincinnati with a 17-yard TD catch from Matthew Stafford in the first quarter. But Beckham wound up celebrating LA’s victory in street clothes after suffering a torn ACL before halftime.

59. T.O.’s big day

Seven weeks after breaking his leg, Eagles WR Terrell Owens caught nine passes for 122 yards in Super Bowl 39. His courageous effort wasn’t quite enough in a three-point loss to the Patriots, but Jack Youngblood − Owens’ fellow Hall of Famer played on a broken leg himself in the Rams’ Super Bowl 14 loss − was still proud.

60. Hightower’s heroics

Let’s end back at the beginning. Former Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower is probably best known for his momentum-fueling strip sack of Falcons QB Matt Ryan during New England’s Super Bowl 51 comeback. But Hightower’s biggest Super Sunday moment occurred two years earlier. Before Butler’s mythic pick, Hightower, soldiering with a torn labrum in his shoulder, somehow brought down Lynch for a 4-yard gain on the previous play. Had it been a 5-yard gain, Seattle almost certainly wins Super Bowl 49 and NFL history looks much different.

WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark is ready for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

On Thursday, Comcast shared an Instagram video of Clark wearing an Olympic hockey jersey. In the video, the Indiana Fever star picks up a camera off the floor and shows off her outfit (a gray crop top sweater and jeans) before placing the camera down and covering the camera lens with her shoe.

In the next frame, she removes her shoe from the camera’s view, revealing a white, red and blue Team USA hockey jersey, complete with an emblem, the American flag and the iconic Olympic rings. Clark eventually tugs at her jersey several times, seemingly cheering the United States on.

‘Nothing brings us together more than sports,’ the caption reads.

From the Olympics to the NBA, Clark is having a huge week.

On Feb. 1, Clark joined the debut of NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Basketball’ as a guest analyst alongside Reggie Miller, Carmelo Anthony and host Maria Taylor. Clark, who was on-site for a Lakers-Knicks matchup at Madison Square Garden, covered several topics with the group, including the ongoing WNBA-CBA negotiations.

Clark’s Olympics video and her NBC appearance were made possible by an Xfinity marketing deal she signed in March 2024.

Since they weren’t able to swing a deal before the NBA trading deadline expired, the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly waiving guard Cam Thomas.

Thomas, 24, had an uneven tenure with the Nets. He proved at times that he was a capable scorer, averaging a career-high 24.0 points per game last season. But Thomas was a restricted free agent this past offseason and a true market never really materialized, so the Nets brought him back on his qualifying offer.

As Brooklyn has transitioned to its younger players, Thomas’ role has been reduced. Still, he’s a young player who has significant deficiencies with his defense and offensive efficiency, but he could provide a boost in the right system.

Here are potential landing spots for Cam Thomas:

Milwaukee Bucks

Now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is sticking around at least through the end of this season, Milwaukee may try to add some pieces to convince Antetokounmpo to commit to the franchise over the long term. The Bucks, though, may be trying to find the balance between staying competitive in the East versus improving their draft pick positioning in what’s a talent-rich draft. The Bucks rank 23rd in offensive rating (112.9), however, so Thomas could offer a scoring boost.

Orlando Magic

They weren’t that active before the trading deadline, but the Magic still have some offensive issues. Paolo Banchero has struggled to take the next step and Desmond Bane has offered a nice boost, but Orlando still could use some perimeter shot creation. The Magic are 25-24 and hanging around the play-in window in the East. Their defense is their strength, so they have other players that can mask Thomas’ deficiencies in that area, but the scoring is what they could use.

Boston Celtics

This is a team with the structure and culture in place to take a potential flyer on Thomas. Certainly, the defensive issues don’t align with Boston’s identity. But the Celtics may also be looking to find a low-cost replacement for Anfernee Simons, whom the Celtics just traded to Chicago for Nikola Vučević. The Celtics would feel that Thomas’ career-low 39.9% shooting is more of an aberration, but if there’s one team that can get Thomas to refine his game, it would be Boston.

Toronto Raptors

Toronto was mostly quiet during the deadline, but this is a team that could still be looking to make some modest improvements to ensure its playoff push. Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley are the primary offensive catalysts for this team, but Toronto still has periods of stagnancy and could use some shot creation off the bench.

Utah Jazz

The big splash was the move to land Jaren Jackson Jr., but the Jazz may still want to land some more offensive talent as Utah makes a push to creep into the play-in window. One reason why this could be a problematic fit, however, is the defensive concerns. The Jazz rank dead last in the NBA in defensive rating (122.0) and Thomas won’t help that.

Ahead of this year’s midterm elections, President Donald Trump is already starting to endorse some GOP candidates – including three-time MLB All-Star Mark Teixeira.

In a post on X, Teixeira shared a screenshot from President Trump’s Truth Social post, where he endorses the former World Series champ in March 3’s Republican primary for Texas’ 21st Congressional district.

‘I know Mark well, and is he a TOTAL WINNER, on and off the field,’ Trump wrote in his post.

Teixeira, who won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009, said he had ‘an excellent phone call with the President’ and that he’s ‘excited to be part of the team.’

Teixeira played 14 MLB seasons for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels and Yankees, retiring after the 2016 campaign.

Trump’s endorsements have often resulted in wins. In 2016, Trump endorsed four Senators and two Representatives, all of whom won except Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire). In 2017, every politician running for a spot in the House of Representatives that Trump endorsed won. More recently, in 2024, only six of the House candidates he endorsed lost their elections. He endorsed more than 50 candidates in total.

What is Mark Teixeira running for?

Teixeira is running for Congress in Texas’ 21st district. Teixeira’s opportunity comes after the district’s sitting congressman, Republican Chip Roy, revealed he would be running for Texas Attorney General in 2026. Roy had held the position since 2018, winning re-election in 2020, 2022, and 2024.

Since announcing his candidacy, Teixeira has always made it clear that he has been a Trump supporter. In his announcement post, he even claims he’s ‘ready to help defend President Trump’s America First agenda.’

When are midterm elections?

This year’s Congressional elections (also referred to as midterms) are set for Tuesday, November 3. The Texas primary will be March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is set for May 26, 2026.