According to WSOC, the collision happened when Ball’s vehicle — driving west on Trade Street — attempted to make a left turn onto Tryon Street and crashed into the gray Kia, which was going east on Trade.
One person had minor injuries, and witnesses reportedly saw Ball hop out of the Hummer and into a Lamborghini.
Footage and photos of the incident can be seen below:
In March, NFL free agency will drastically alter the landscape of the league at large. Yet with teams once again keeping the overwhelming majority of marquee names from hitting the open market, any franchise in search of a transformative figure might need to engage in another form of deal-making.
Trading big-name talent is hardly taboo in the NFL, with the likes of Micah Parsons, George Pickens, DK Metcalf, Laremy Tunsil and Joe Thuney having been dealt last year. And while the first two deals didn’t materialize until the summer, franchises often pounce on the period before free agency to secure proven starters.
Many offseason trades amount to a wiping of the slate for multiple parties, with teams often eager to clear their books or simply recoup some value for a player no longer in their plans. This year, however, could give rise to a change of scenery for several players who still have a good deal to offer.
With that in mind, here are 12 big-name NFL players who could be traded in the coming weeks:
Since receiving a massive five-year, $230.5 million extension in July 2022, Murray has neither been sufficiently effective nor available to live up to his massive payout. Yet Arizona has trudged along, awaiting a return to form that has never materialized. With a new coach in place and another major financial decision on the horizon, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick’s time in the desert might finally be up.
There’s a clear incentive for Arizona to get something done, as dealing him rather than cutting him outright would save nearly two-thirds of the $54.7 million dead cap hit he would otherwise carry. And the Cardinals can’t afford to string this one out, with an additional $19.5 million in Murray’s 2027 salary becoming guaranteed if he’s still on the roster by March 15. Ultimately, any acquiring team likely would be taking on a good deal of assurances in pay while receiving few with regard to the dynamic dual-threat’s play. But don’t rule out the possibility of a deal just yet, especially if the Cardinals are willing to help bridge any financial gap.
No team knows the value of a good backup quite like the 49ers, who in recent years have endured a calamitous spate of injuries defying most logical explanations. That’s made it critical for San Francisco to keep valuable backstops such as Jones around for as long as the team can.
Under contract for another year at a meager $3.07 million, Jones sizes up as the ultimate prize as a bridge quarterback – if he were to be made available. And as teams weigh whether there’s another Sam Darnold reclamation project out there to seize upon, there’s probably considerable appeal for the man who replaced Darnold in the Bay Area and has already shown marked progress in turning things around.
It stands to reason that the 49ers would resist parting with the rejuvenated 2021 first-round passer, who last season posted a career-high passer rating of 97.4 while starting eight games in place of Brock Purdy. And Schefter reported before the Super Bowl that the 49ers weren’t planning on trading Jones this offseason.
Plans can change, however. Any initial conversations around Jones might take on a more feverish tone around or shortly after the first wave of free agency, as several teams in the market for a short-term solution behind center are bound to be left without an answer. As those same franchises ponder scouring a draft offering little in the way of promising passers beyond expected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, maybe one might conjure an offer capable of swaying the 49ers’ mind.
There are plenty of indicators that suggest Brown is staying put in Philadelphia. The financial toll of moving him might be insurmountable, with the Eagles taking on a $43.5 million dead cap hit for doing so before June 1. Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni also seem intent on getting things right with both the offense and the team at large, and robbing the attack of one of its top playmakers would be at odds with that mission.
But if Eagles brass doesn’t want to forge ahead with the volatile pass catcher, then maybe a split really is possible.
Figuring out proper compensation for Brown could be tricky given all the variables, but perhaps some team sees itself as capable of incorporating the three-time Pro Bowl selection the way the Eagles did when he first arrived in the stunning draft-day deal with Tennessee. In a more functional aerial attack, he might help put an established contender over the top.
Bills co-owner Terry Pegula in January put a bizarre spin on the trolley problem, diverting a freight train of criticism from Brandon Beane’s pathway onto Coleman’s. Pegula defended Beane, who was promoted to president of football operations after Sean McDermott’s firing, in part by saying it was the coaching staff that had pushed to select the receiver No. 34 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Beane subsequently tried to defuse the situation by taking responsibility for the pick, and new coach Joe Brady offered staunch support of Coleman in his introductory news conference. But the struggling pass catcher was already facing a considerable climb to get back into the mix for Buffalo’s woeful receiving corps. Despite boasting many of the traits the Bills would naturally seek in a sorely needed split end for Josh Allen, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Coleman was a healthy scratch for four games down the stretch. His second year came to be defined by questions surrounding his maturity and preparedness.
What’s the upside for any potential takers? Simple: Buying low on talented players on rookie contracts tends to be good business. Coleman has various limitations – particularly related to creating separation – that have contributed to his stalled growth, but his stock shouldn’t be considered scorched earth. For a team that needs a big body to compete for contested catches, Coleman still carries solid value.
Brady repeatedly contended that Coleman would be back with Buffalo next season, and parting with a top-40 pick after just two years is hardly ideal. But for a franchise that was so fixated on the locker-room vibes after the divisional-round loss to the Denver Broncos, it might be wise to not let this loom over the season ahead.
Don’t take his inclusion as an indictment of the season-ending miscommunication with Caleb Williams that sunk the Bears in the divisional-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Rather, moving Moore could serve as a means to right-size the receiver room in Chicago.
Wideout Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland looked nothing short of essential to the passing attack after late-season surges to cap their rookie years. Rome Odunze, too, should be a fixture of the passing attack so long as he can stay healthy. Where, then, does that leave Moore? The speedy target increasingly looks like a relic of a bygone era in Chicago, with a skill-position sea change already underway.
There might not be many bidders for a soon-to-be 29-year-old who is coming off posting career lows in catches (50) and receiving yards (682). But cutting him outright would entail a prohibitive $35.5 million cap hit, while dealing him would allow Chicago to clear $16.5 million in space. For that reason, maybe a minimal return would prove sufficient to facilitate a swap that would allow the team to stave off cap-saving moves elsewhere.
There are several receiver-needy teams with a good deal of cap space and diminishingly few worthwhile free-agent options worth plugging in as a pass catcher. Taking on Moore’s $23.5 million guaranteed salary for 2026 might be a non-starter to some, but he could provide the same kind of assistance he previously did with the Bears and Carolina Panthers in lifting up an underdeveloped receiving corps.
Selling low is seldom a good idea for NFL teams, particularly when the player in question is at a premium position and on a rookie contract. With those factors in play, moving Thomas after his letdown sophomore campaign might not be very appealing to the Jaguars. But it’s not unfathomable that a regime that inherited the former first-rounder might flip him to a team that still sees him as a top-flight target.
While plenty of figures in Jacksonville flourished in Liam Coen and James Gladstone’s first year at the helm, Thomas floundered, with his receiving yards down nearly 50% from his sterling rookie campaign (1,282 to 707) and his touchdown catches dropping from 10 to two. The Jaguars, however, didn’t stand pat as Thomas struggled with drops and finishing plays. Jakobi Meyers arrived via trade and immediately became the reliable owner of the intermediate area that the attack needed, to the point that he was signed to a three-year, $60 million extension in mid-December. And Parker Washington broke out as a slot weapon, averaging 114.5 yards per game over his final four contests.
Is there space for Thomas in an increasingly crowded receiving corps? Meyers and Washington look essential to Trevor Lawrence’s resurgence, while Travis Hunter Jr. should at the least moonlight on offense. Still, Coen said Thomas would ‘100% be a part’ of the Jaguars’ future. Lawrence came on strong down the stretch with Thomas operating in more of a designated deep-threat role, which the 6-foot-2, 209-pounder could reprise this fall.
Still, Gladstone acknowledged that the notion of a true No. 1 receiver ‘doesn’t necessarily exist’ in Coen’s system. Perhaps another team looking for that true go-to option might try to swing a deal to put Thomas in that role. The Jaguars could stand to recoup some draft capital after parting with this year’s first-rounder to acquire Hunter. Sticking things out for another year is the most reasonable route for Jacksonville, but maybe an aggressive offer at least makes things interesting.
How far is Miami’s new regime willing to go in its reset? Tagovailoa looks likely to follow Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb out the door, leaving the Dolphins to wade through what’s widely expected to be a transition year in 2026. If the organization is willing to tear things down to the studs, though, it could find a significant market for its most valuable asset in Waddle.
The speedy 27-year-old wideout sparked interest at the November trade deadline but was ultimately retained by the Dolphins. Now, however, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley might view the franchise’s future differently than a group trying to keep things together a few days after longtime general manager Chris Grier’s split with the organization. With several receiver-needy contenders potentially fishing around – particularly in the AFC, which appears as wide-open as it has been in years – there could be strong demand for the five-year veteran.
Yet there’s a pretty strong case for the Dolphins to keep Waddle around. Along with running back De’Von Achane and center Aaron Brewer, the speedster is one of the lone holdovers for Miami’s offense, which should still be heavily interested in feeding him targets with pass game coordinator Bobby Slowik taking over coordinator duties. His contract now seems entirely reasonable in the short term, with just an $11.6 million cap hit awaiting this year. Moving Waddle would actually put Miami another $11.6 million in the red on cap savings, so the price to acquire him could be prohibitively high. But if the Dolphins can capture the kind of asset that would expedite a turnaround, sending Waddle on his way should at least be a consideration.
So far, it’s been all chatter surrounding the five-time Pro Bowl selection and his future. If Crosby really does end up pushing his way out of Las Vegas, it could end up as the most consequential transaction of the offseason.
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer said ahead of the Super Bowl that he expects Crosby to be dealt ahead of the NFL draft, with the star edge rusher not wanting to be part of another rebuild. Crosby responded earlier in February by saying on ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd’ that ‘I just sit back and laugh because I know my truth and when I go to bed at night, I have a smile on my face because I don’t have to explain nothing to nobody.’
The parallels to Myles Garrett’s trade demand last season are natural, but there’s another star pass rusher to consider here in Micah Parsons. If Crosby can’t settle his competitive differences with the Raiders the way Garrett did with the Browns last year, the package the Packers paid for Parsons – two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark – will likely loom as a point of comparison in any trade talks. Crosby, who turns 29 in August, is a step below where Parsons was in peak production and health. Yet he’s one of the game’s handful of elite entities as a true force off the edge against both the pass and run.
And regardless of the price, the chase for him could be fascinating, with a bevy of returning playoff teams having plenty of incentive to ramp up their defensive fronts. Selling Crosby would be a difficult step for the Raiders as they finally look to get off the ground floor, but doing so might help the team embrace a more realistic timeline for a run to competitive relevance.
Oliver hasn’t carried the same level of trade speculation as most of the other figures on this list. For a Buffalo team that seems intent on mounting its Super Bowl push right away, parting with one of its defensive linchpins might be a non-starter.
Still, there are some substantial questions about how Oliver will translate to new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s scheme. The 3-4 looks don’t exactly cater to the strengths of the 6-foot-1, 287-pound defensive tackle, who created havoc from a three-technique role but lacks optimal length for a move to defensive end. With no guaranteed money left on his deal, it might be time to extend Oliver or see what he could fetch in a trade.
Re-upping him might be the simplest way to forge ahead and reduce his nearly $24 million cap hit for next season. But Buffalo should find plenty of takers if they put Oliver on the block, even as he comes off a season in which he missed all but three regular-season games due to a torn biceps. The trajectories of the last two Super Bowl champions in the Eagles and Seattle Seahawks have underscored the necessity of creating interior disruption. Few do that as well as the 28-year-old Oliver.
After keeping his job amid the Giants’ shift from Brian Daboll to John Harbaugh, Joe Schoen has to do some clean-up work on an uneven roster. One such step might involve Thibodeaux, his first draft pick as general manager.
The 6-foot-5, 258-pounder’s status with Big Blue had been in question dating back to last year’s draft, when the team doubled down on its greatest strength by taking edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick. Now, Thibodeaux is set to play on his fifth-year option, and it’s difficult to see a path back to New York beyond this season. Flipping him would allow Schoen and Harbaugh to better recalibrate the roster to address needs.
Yet Schoen resisted putting Thibodeaux on the block at last year’s deadline, and the No. 5 overall pick in 2022 landed on season-ending injury reserve in December with a shoulder issue. Establishing his trade value now could be difficult as he comes off a career low 2½ sacks. And New York would need to be confident that Carter can be counted on after he was twice benched by interim coach Mike Kafka.
The Giants should at least listen to what the market is for Thibodeaux this offseason. The simple solution, however, might be to allow him to showcase his skills early next season before trying to move him ahead of the trade deadline.
For Kansas City, the path back to the front of the AFC likely entails acquiring more high-end talent rather than shedding it. Dumping McDuffie would be a divergence from that route, but it might serve the Chiefs well in the long run.
A 2023 All-Pro selection with the versatility to thrive in the slot or outside, McDuffie is the kind of coverage asset teams typically covet. Brett Veach, however, has typically shown a strong proclivity for bringing along younger cornerbacks than paying established ones. If Kansas City isn’t prepared to sign McDuffie to a sizable extension this offseason, capturing an early draft choice for him would help the reloading effort. And clearing his $13.6 million fifth-year option would assist the near-term flexibility for the cap-strapped Chiefs.
McDuffie wouldn’t net a Sauce Gardner return, but he should still be highly alluring to established contenders. A top-50 pick would be a fair ask.
The eight-time Pro Bowl selection has already been sent packing in three different deals through his 10-year career. Could a fourth be on the horizon?
Ramsey joined the Steelers last summer as the latest marquee addition to a veteran-laden team. But things didn’t quite work out for the league’s highest-paid defense, which ranked 26th in total yards allowed. Ramsey moved to safety full-time at midseason to cover for a rash of injuries at the position, a move that the versatile defensive back said brought ‘a renewed energy’ for him. The switch coincided with the Steelers’ pass defense firming up a bit down the stretch.
But even with Pittsburgh resisting a rebuild, an entirely different coaching staff following Mike Tomlin’s resignation could complicate the outlook for Ramsey. Two-high shells haven’t been a staple of new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s past schemes, meaning Ramsey in a bit of a tough spot. At 31 and carrying a $19.5 million cap hit that can be wiped out completely if he’s moved, the three-time Pro Bowler simply might not be a great fit anymore.
Still, Pittsburgh might not be eager to figure out the back end without him, as his presence at safety helped the defense cut down considerably on big plays allowed.
Retired MMA fighter Tiki Ghosn was seen on video getting into an altercation with Nurideen Shabazz, an influencer-turned-boxer known as Deen the Great. The video has gone viral.
Ghosn was seen landing a strike to the face of Shabazz, punching him out at a party following a confrontation that appeared to be started by the influencer. Shabazz could be heard questioning why Ghosn would deny knowing who he was.
‘You do know who I am,’ Shabazz was heard saying during the exchange.
‘I don’t know you,’ Ghosn told Shabazz. ‘Nice to meet you, though.’
Things would escalate further after Shabazz continued his questioning of Ghosn. The men were quickly separated.
Shabazz was also seen being slapped by powerlifter Larry Wheels in a separate video from earlier in the week. That incident was referenced by Ghosn in the viral video during the exchange with Shabazz.
Both incidents can be found on Shabazz’s KICK stream. Former MMA fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was seen in both videos. Ghosn is Jackson’s manager.
Ghosn produced a 10-7-0 record as a fighter, winning his last fight in March 2008 while snapping a streak of five consecutive losses.
The Southern California native was previously managed by current UFC president Dana White. Ghosn has worked as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter and worked with several notable names in the MMA world, including Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock and Michael Bisping.
Shabazz won his first seven boxing fights; his second win was the only non-exhibition fight he’s competed in.
He suffered his first loss to Amado Vargas in an exhibition fight in December 2025.
Shabszz has also served as a YouTube streamer since 2013 and has more than 528K subscribers.
The 2026 Winter Olympics have provided no shortage of drama, exciting action and shocking moments.
We’ve gotten all of that on Wednesday during men’s hockey quarterfinal action.
Let’s break down a couple of those moments and address complaints about the start time of the men’s hockey gold medal game in this latest edition of Screen Shots.
We’ve written about Team Finland having a rough time at the start of the Olympics, and we’ve written about their bounce-back performance that kept them in the hunt for a gold medal.
On Wednesday, they had another rough start and yet another bounce-back performance, barely making it past Team Switzerland in a 3-2 overtime win.
The Swiss got out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, and they tried to make that last, keeping the Finns off the scoresheet until the 13:54 mark of the third frame.
Slowly but surely, however, two of Finland’s star players – Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho and Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen – stepped up with a goal apiece in the final 6:06 of regulation to send the game to extra time. From there, another Finnish star – Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen – won it to send the Finns to the semifinal.
Team Finland should be thanking their lucky stars they outlasted Switzerland. Like the Canadians did in their 4-3 overtime win over Czechia, the Finns overcame a prolonged scare before finding a way to win. But considering they face Canada next, Finland must be better for longer, or they’ll be playing for bronze rather than gold.
We’re always wary of criticizing hockey’s on-ice officials, as they have a tough job officiating a super-speedy game in which things can happen in the blink of an eye.
But man oh man, the officials in the Canada/Czechia game totally blew a too-many-men penalty they should have called on the Czechs.
Just look at this still shot from the game – there’s clearly six Czechia skaters on the ice.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the Canadian broadcast that a situation like that is non-reviewable, so if Canada didn’t tie the game or win, that goal would have been crucial.
At the risk of repeating ourselves, this play shows hockey’s need for an eye-in-the-sky official situated in the stands who can stop play by calling something the on-ice officials have missed.
This is something we’ve advocated for multiple times, but there’s a reason why – if you’ve got an official literally overlooking the play on the ice, you increase the chances a call doesn’t get missed. And while there’s no system that guarantees that every call that needs to be made gets made, you can’t convince us there’s no real value to either the International Ice Hockey Federation or the NHL making that change. It’s like refereeing insurance without bogging down the game with more reviews.
We’ve seen some complaints about the starting time of the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game, which is at 8:10 a.m. ET and 5:10 a.m. PT on Sunday.
The game, which is at 2:10 p.m. in Milan, had to be at that time on Sunday because the closing ceremonies for the Olympics are that evening at Verona Olympic Arena, over an hour-and-a-half drive away.
Sure, if the Olympic organizers wanted North Americans not to have to wake up early, then hypothetically, the gold medal game could have taken place at a later time the day earlier, when the bronze medal game takes place.
But welcome to the rest of the world. Everyone outside North America has had to adjust their viewing habits for NHL games for as long as they have been broadcast. Those in Europe have to watch weeknight games at midnight or later in most cases. And if people on the West Coast can wake up at 5 a.m. on Sunday, people on the East Coast should not have a problem right now.
Think of it as a fun adventure – you’re rising early in the day to watch two incredible teams square off. If that means you’re going to be a little bit tired, that’s a pretty fair tradeoff.
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MILAN — What an emotional, challenging quarterfinal for USA men’s hockey.
Their 2026 Winter Olympics hopes were on the line, their lead leveled in the final minute-plus of regulation when Sweden powered through tired legs and scored. Ninety-one seconds from celebrating, instead the Americans had to get over it and get on it with.
So they did. Quinn Hughes secured USA’s advancement to the semifinals with a goal at 3:27 of overtime, sealing a 2-1 victory. The Americans, who improved to 4-0 in the tournament, advance to play Slovakia. Canada plays Finland in the other game. Both games are Friday, Feb. 20, with USA again slotted into the 3:10 p.m. ET start.
Though the Americans have been used to the goals pouring in on opponents in the preliminary round, this game was different. USA had one goal after two periods at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The clock ticked down, and Sweden did what any opponent does in such a case: Pull the goalie.
It worked. Mika Zibanejad scored with 1:31 to play, connecting on an unreal, no-look, across-the-top-of-the-circles pass from Lucas Raymond.
Dylan Larkin delivered a huge one, tipping Jack Hughes’ shot midway through the second period to put USA up by one. Brady Tkachuk flew into the paint from the right side shortly afterward to try to build on the lead, but Jacob Markstrom made the save and covered the puck as his crease crowded.
USA went on a second power play late in the second period. Tage Thompson had a good chance and Markstrom had to dive and thrash his stick to try to get to the rebound, but a teammate helped out. USA had a 20-8 edge in shots in the second period.
USA did a masterful job killing off a Sweden power play early in the third period to maintain the lead. Back at even strength, Matt Boldy had a chance denied from the bottom of the left circle.
The Swedes had to make do without one of their top defenseman when Victor Hedman suffered a lower-body injury during warmups and was unable to play, requiring further evaluation. Hedman watched the game from Sweden’s bench.
The Americans looked to take advantage of their opponent having played 24 hours earlier, running up an early 6-0 edge in shots. A power play at 3:21 helped build momentum. It wasn’t until about 7 minutes in that the Swedes found a gear and started attacking, pinning USA in their zone and forcing saves from Markstrom. Lucas Raymond had one of the best ones of the period, firing a shot from the right circle with about seven minutes to play. Markstrom came up with a big save on Jack Hughes after Rasmus Dahlin lost the puck in his own zone. It ended up being a pretty even, sedate opening period.
The dream of an Olympic gold medal lives on for the USA men’s hockey team thanks to some Milan Magic from Quinn Hughes.
The Minnesota Wild defenseman buried a shot into the back of the net in overtime to lift the United States to a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Sweden inside the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 18. It marked the end of the third quarterfinal of the day to reach overtime at the 2026 Winter Olympics, a first in Olympic history per NBC’s Mike Tirico.
Hughes’ goal came after the United States lost a 1-0 lead with 91 seconds remaining in the third period when Sweden’s Mika Zibanejad tied it. Hughes now has six points in four games for the United States.
The United States, which is looking for its first Olympic medal in the men’s hockey tournament since the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, will now advance to the semifinals, where it will face Slovakia at 2:10 p.m. ET on Friday.
‘I felt like I had one earlier on the backhand there and I feel like I’m pretty good in open space, so I was just trying to create a shot for myself, and was able to do that,’ Hughes told NBC’s Kathryn Tappen following the game on what he saw on the play that led to his goal.
NBC’s broadcast mentioned several times that Hughes waved off a line change directive that was coming from the USA bench; he was on the ice for the last minute and 15 seconds of the game.
‘This whole tournament, it’s not about me. It’s about the group and in the moment I felt like I had an opportunity where I could do something,’ Hughes told Tappen on why he waved off the coaching staff.
Hughes also had an assist on Dylan Larkin’s first-period goal. He ends the day with two points for the United States.
MILAN — Even when he couldn’t be in the lineup because his right leg had buckled in ways legs shouldn’t, Sidney Crosby made a difference for Canada.
With the quarterfinal against Czechia tied after two periods, Crosby addressed his teammates. The gist of the message? Go get ’em.
Canada did. Mitch Marner scored 1:22 into overtime to seal a 4-3 victory, sending Canada to the semifinals on Feb. 20 at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Whether the lineup will include Crosby is unknown; Canada coach Jon Cooper did not have an update immediately after the game.
‘He couldn’t come out for the third,’ Cooper said. ‘But he did address the players, and I think that was a big thing coming in is, that we lose this game − we didn’t want this to be Sid’s last game at this Olympics’
The injury didn’t look good, with Crosby’s legs separated at unnatural angles. He was still being evaluated after the game.
‘You hate seeing it, right? He’s a heart and soul guy,’ Mark Stone said. ‘He leads by example. I’m glad we were able to get the win for him.’
Gudas said he was just trying to hold the red line.
‘Just trying to play hard, everybody is playing physical,’ he said. ‘That team is so fast, so quick, you worry about the next shift, the next play. Hopefully he’s ok, you never want to see a guy get hurt, especially in these tournaments.’
Macklin Celebrini, who scored the first goal and assisted on goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Marner’s, called it ‘a weight lifted off our shoulders’ to see the puck go in in overtime, especially after losing Crosby.
‘He’s the leader, captain, heart and soul of our team,’ Celebrini said. ‘He’s a guy that everyone looks to, so for him to go down, it was tough. But I think we did a good job kind of rallying and staying on the gas.’
The Czechs were playing for the second time in 24 hours while Canada, having won group play, had been off for two days. But Canada is also the No. 1 seed at the tournament, while the Czechs looked loose, like they were playing with house money.
Lukas Sedlak and David Pastrnak scored in the first period to make it 2-1 Czechia going into the second period. MacKinnon scored an equalizer. The third period thrilled, especially when Ondrej Palat finished a nice pass from Necas to put Czechia up by a goal with 7:42 to go.
‘You look down the bench and you see the players we have on our team, and you know no one’s going to quit, and we have a great chance of coming back,’ Drew Doughty said. ‘But as the time keeps ticking, you’re like, ‘Holy (expletive) – this isn’t an ideal.’ But I never stopped believing. And look what happened.’
There was only 3:27 left to play when Nick Suzuki tipped Devon Toews’ shot to tie the game.
‘I wanted to do something to help the team, so it was a big goal to tie it up and send it to overtime,’ Suzuki said.
Cooper said players on the bench are, ‘like super comfortable being uncomfortable and that’s what it is. It was calm. Everybody had complete faith in whoever was going over the boards. It just felt like it was a matter of time.’
: This was the kind of prison break officials say could have changed the region, and perhaps even the world, overnight.
Nearly 6,000 ISIS detainees, described by a senior U.S. intelligence official as ‘the worst of the worst,’ were being held in northern Syria as clashes and instability threatened the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the guards responsible for keeping the militants locked away and preventing a feared ISIS resurgence. U.S. officials believed that if the prisons collapsed in the chaos, the consequences would be immediate.
‘If these 6,000 or so got out and returned to the battlefield, that would basically be the instant reconstitution of ISIS,’ the senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital.
In an exclusive interview, the official walked Fox News Digital step by step through the behind-the-scenes operation that moved thousands of ISIS detainees out of Syria and into Iraqi custody, describing a multi-agency scramble that unfolded over weeks, with intelligence warnings, rapid diplomacy and a swift military lift.
The risk, the official explained, had been building for months. In late October, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard began to assess that Syria’s transition could tip into disorder and create the conditions for a catastrophic jailbreak.
The ODNI sent the official to Syria and Iraq at that time to begin early discussions with both the SDF and the Iraqi government about how to remove what the official repeatedly described as the most dangerous detainees before events overtook them.
Those fears sharpened in early January as fighting erupted in Aleppo and began spreading eastward. Time was running out to prevent catastrophe. ‘We saw this severe crisis situation,’ the official said.
According to the source, the ODNI oversaw daily coordination calls across agencies as the situation escalated. The official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was ‘managing the day to day’ on policy considerations, while the ODNI drove a working group that kept CENTCOM, diplomats and intelligence officials aligned on the urgent question: how to keep nearly 6,000 ISIS fighters from slipping into the fog of war.
The Iraqi government, the official said, understood the stakes. Baghdad had its own reasons to move quickly, fearing that if thousands of detainees escaped, they would spill across the border and revive a threat Iraq still remembers in visceral terms.
The official described Iraq’s motivation bluntly: leaders recognized that a massive breakout could force Iraq back into a ‘2014 ISIS is on our border situation once more.’
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the official said, played a pivotal role in smoothing the diplomatic runway for what would become a major logistical undertaking.
Then came the physical lift. The official credited CENTCOM’s surge of resources to make the plan real on the ground, saying that ‘moving in helicopters’ and other assets enabled detainees to be removed in a compressed timeframe.
‘Thanks to the efforts… moving in helicopters, moving in more resources, and then just logistically making this happen, we were able to get these nearly 6000 out in the course of just a few weeks,’ the official said.
The SDF, he said, had been securing the prisons, but its attention was strained by fighting elsewhere, fueling U.S. fears that a single breach could spiral into a mass escape. Ultimately, detainees were transported into Iraq, where they are now held at a facility near Baghdad International Airport under Iraqi authority.
The next phase, the official said, is focused on identification and accountability. FBI teams are in Iraq enrolling detainees biometrically, the official said, while U.S. and Iraqi officials examine what intelligence can be declassified and used in prosecutions.
‘What they were asking us for, basically, is giving them as much intelligence and information that we have on these individuals,’ the official said. ‘So right now, the priority is on biometrically identifying these individuals.’
The official said the State Department is also pushing countries of origin to take responsibility for their citizens held among the detainees.
‘State Department is doing outreach right now and encouraging all these different countries to come and pick up their fighters,’ he said.
While the transfer focused strictly on ISIS fighters, the senior intelligence official said families held in camps such as al-Hol were not part of the operation, leaving a major unresolved security and humanitarian challenge.
The camps themselves were under separate arrangements, the official said, and responsibility shifted as control on the ground evolved.
According to the official, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government reached an understanding that Damascus would take over the al-Hol camp, which holds thousands of ISIS-affiliated women and children.
‘As you can see from social media, the al-Hol camp is pretty much being emptied out,’ the official said, adding that it ‘appears the Syrian government has decided to let them go free,’ a scenario the official described as deeply troubling for regional security. ‘That is very concerning.’
The fate of the families has long been viewed by counterterrorism officials as one of the most complicated, unresolved elements of the ISIS detention system. Many of the children have grown up in camps after ISIS lost territorial control, and some are now approaching fighting age, raising fears about future radicalization and recruitment.
For now, the official said, intelligence agencies are closely tracking developments after a rapid operation that, in their view, prevented thousands of experienced ISIS militants from reentering the battlefield at once and potentially reigniting the group’s fighting force.
‘This is a rare good news story coming out of Syria,’ the official concluded.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Feb. 18 following a practice, Durant was asked about speculation that an account on X, formerly known as Twitter, might belong to Durant. The account handle, @gethigher77, was created in August 2021 and has just 75 followers and is following 75 other users. The account recently went private.
Over the All-Star break, screenshots emerged that showed the account openly criticizing current and former teammates of Durant.
“I know you’ve got to ask these questions, but I’m not here to get into Twitter nonsense,” Durant said. “I’m just here to focus on the season, keep it pushing, but I get why you have to ask those questions.”
When pressed further and asked whether he had addressed the matter with his Rockets teammates, Durant once again deflected.
“My teammates know what it is,” he said. “We’ve been locked in the whole season. We enjoyed our break. We had a great practice today, and we look forward to the road trip.”
The Rockets, who are 33-20 and in a tight race near the top of the Western Conference, are set to go on a two-game trip to Charlotte and New York.
The screenshots from the @gethigher77 account led to speculation over the weekend that the tone and speech patterns were similar to messages Durant has used in the past from his verified accounts.
The images show direct messages sent from the account that seemingly disparage Rockets All-Star center Alperen Şengün and forward Jabari Smith Jr. Those direct messages are in the first person and imply that the Rockets are “this (expletive) ass team.” The messages also use offensive epithets.
“Your franchise player can’t shoot or defend,” one message reads, seemingly alluding to Şengün. “That’s a wayyyyyyy bigger issue than my turnovers. Remember, these guys are your future.”
“I can’t trust Jabari to make a (expletive) shot or get a stop,” another message reads, before calling Smith a common epithet against people with a learning disability.
It’s important to stress that there has been no direct evidence tying Durant to the account and that the supposed link is, at this point, merely internet speculation.
Known to be active on his social media channels, particularly when responding to other users or trolls, Durant even said during a 2019 interview with ESPN that he used burner accounts.
“I wasn’t used to that amount of attention from playing basketball,” Durant said then. “I wanted a place where I could talk to my friends without anybody butting in on my conversations or mixing my words or taking everything out of context because I enjoyed that place.”
Previously, in 2017, Durant was seemingly caught using a burner account when a fan addressed his official account and Durant responded by speaking in the third person.
Then, in July 2023, after the launch of Threads, Durant posted a message to Twitter, saying: “On threads with the burner. Come find me.”
During a press conference Saturday, Feb. 14 at All-Star media day, Durant was asked if he was forced to give up X or video games for the rest of his life, which one he would choose.
“Damn,” Durant said then. “I’m going to go Twitter. I’m going to go Twitter, because they don’t deserve to hear this God-level talk I’m giving to them. They take it for granted, cuz.”
As the WNBA and its players’ union continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, the 2026 WNBA season hangs in the balance.
‘Well, someone’s gonna have to fold, aren’t they?’ Collier told USA TODAY Sports regarding the ongoing CBA talks while promoting a partnership with Unrivaled and Icy Hot.
A five-time WNBA All-Star with the Minnesota Lynx, Collier says the union continues to meet with the hope of getting a deal done. But, she reiterated the players’ plan to stand firm amidst the revenue sharing road block and housing concessions by the WNBA.
On Tuesday, the players’ union submitted a counterproposal in response to the WNBA’s Feb. 7 submission. In the proposal, the WNBPA requested 25% of gross revenue in the first year, increasing over the life of the agreement to an average of roughly 27.5%. The union also proposed a salary cap of less than $9.5 million.
The latest requested revenue share percentage is less than the proposal in December, where players asked for 30% of gross revenue. The WNBA is currently offering more than 70% of league and team net revenue. The league is also proposing a salary cap of $5.65 million per year, rising with league revenues.
In Tuesday’s counterproposal, the WNBPA advocated for housing to continue in the early years of a player’s career. The union proposed housing could be shed in later years of a contract and would be adjusted and phased out for players who make a certain amount of money on a multi-year, fully guaranteed contract.
The WNBA issued a statement, saying: “The Players Association’s latest proposal remains unrealistic and would cause hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams. We still need to complete two Drafts and free agency before the start of training camp and are running out of time. We believe the WNBA’s proposal would result in a huge win for current players and generations to come.”
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the players’ union’s proposal would allegedly result in projected losses of $460 million over the lifetime of the agreement for WNBA teams. The person went on to share that the deal has to benefit both the players and teams to ensure continued investment and growth in the league.
Collier shared with USA TODAY that she did not have a specific response to the WNBA’s statement, but did reveal some thoughts.
‘We don’t think, obviously, what we’re asking for is unfair, otherwise we wouldn’t be asking for it,’ Collier said. ‘But we understand it’s a negotiation, and I think we are trending in the right direction. But, we have to be able to stand strong in what we believe in and make sure that we are getting a fair cut in this pie that we are building together as a league and as players.’
A person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports there is a sense of urgency from the players’ union. According to the person, as Collier mentioned, the desire to play in 2026 remains, along with securing a transformational deal where the WNBPA ‘doesn’t negotiate against themselves.’
The regular season is scheduled to start May 8. However, before that can happen, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire will have expansion drafts. Free agency and the 2026 WNBA draft also need to take place. Collier is aware that the closer the clock moves to May 8, the more anxious people may become. Still, she has hope things will work themselves out.
‘I hope people just remember that we want to be out there, too. I think it gets [lost] with lots of different narratives out there that we’re being unreasonable, whatever it is ― this is our livelihood. This is our job, our passions, what we love to do most in the world. We want to be out there. It’s just such a pivotal time in women’s sports, and we’ve been growing, growing, growing for so long,’ Collier said.
‘Again, we just have to stand strong in what we believe in and what we think is fair. So I just hope they hold out and believe in us, continue to support us ― which they have been; they’ve been great ― and just know that we are gonna play again. It’s gonna happen. This thing is gonna happen. Just be patient with us. Keep supporting us, and we’re gonna get there.’