Diversity still a major issue at the Winter Olympics. The US is making some strides
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — USA Bobsled and Skeleton is set to unveil its Olympic rosters, with most women competing likely being women of color. This could make the 2026 U.S. Olympic winter roster the most diverse ever. In 2018, 21 athletes of Black or Asian descent were part of the team, about 8% of the total. The 2026 team could surpass that. Some top American medal hopefuls include Black women like bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor and speedskater Erin Jackson. Despite challenges, representation is growing, with athletes like Mystique Ro and Kaysha Love leading the way.
Cooper Flagg sprains an ankle and is ruled out after halftime as Mavs lose to Nuggets
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg has been ruled out for the second half against Denver after the No. 1 overall pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg turned the ankle as he fell to the floor after getting called for a foul defending Peyton Watson in the second quarter. Flagg went to the locker room but came back for the final 2:35 before the break. The 19-year-old didn’t come of the locker room for the second half. Flagg injured the same ankle two nights earlier but returned.
Peat scores 24, No. 1 Arizona remains undefeated with 89-82 win over rival Arizona State
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Koa Peat had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Tobe Awaka added 25 points and top-ranked Arizona remained undefeated with an 89-82 win over rival Arizona State. The Wildcats had a hard time shaking the Sun Devils in a physical first half before Peat came alive in the second. The 6-foot-8 freshman made all seven of his shots in the second half as Arizona built a 12-point lead. The Sun Devils kept hanging around behind Moe Odum, whose 3 with 55 seconds left pulled Arizona State within 87-82. Arizona’s Jaden Bradley followed with a short jumper and Arizona hit two free throws to join No. 8 Nebraska and Miami, Ohio as the only remaining undefeated Division I teams. Odum led Arizona State with 23 points.
NFL playoff weekend sets a record with 12 fourth-quarter lead changes
The NFL has experienced an unprecedented playoff weekend with the first four games featuring a combined 12 lead changes in the fourth quarter. This surpasses the previous postseason record of 10 set in 2007. The weekend began with a thrilling game between Carolina and the Los Angeles Rams, ending with Matthew Stafford’s decisive touchdown pass. Buffalo and Jacksonville also traded leads before the Bills secured a win. Chicago pulled off a historic comeback against Green Bay, marking the Bears’ seventh win this season when trailing in the final minutes. Meanwhile, New England and Houston delivered strong defensive performances, advancing to the next round.
Tiger Woods celebrates 30th year of foundation and gets $20M grant from Arthur Blank
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods is celebrating 30 years of his TGR Foundation with a big gift. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is awarding a $20 million grant from his family foundation that will go toward building a TGR Learning Lab in Atlanta. That will be the fifth learning lab the TGR Foundation opens. The first one was 20 years ago in Anaheim, California. The announcement comes at the of a celebration at The Breakers in south Florida. The TGR Foundation says it has raised more than $50 million for its mission or reaching underserved communities to enhance their education.
Left-hander Ranger Suárez and Boston Red Sox agree to $130 million, 5-year contract, AP source says
A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that left-hander Ranger Suárez and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a $130 million, five-year contract. A 30-year-old who became an All-Star in 2024, Suárez spent his first eight major league seasons with Philadelphia. He was 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA last year, striking out 151 and walking 38 in 157 1/3 innings. He did not make his season debut until May 4 because of lower back stiffness. Suárez is 53-37 with a 3.38 ERA in 119 starts and 68 relief appearances.
Pro Picks: Broncos, Seahawks, Texans, Rams will advance to conference championship games
All-Pro Matthew Stafford rallied the Rams to a victory at Carolina last week to set up a divisional round matchup at Chicago on Sunday. Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers fell short in the Super Bowl against Kansas City in overtime two years ago. The Niners eliminated the defending champion Eagles to advance to face Seattle on Saturday night. Josh Allen and the Bills have been knocked out of the playoffs by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs four times in the past five years. Buffalo’s comeback win at Jacksonville sends the Bills to Denver on Saturday. Houston’s defense gives C.J. Stroud another opportunity when the Texans play in New England on Sunday.
Coco Gauff and Venus Williams set for potential Australian Open meeting in 2nd round
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff and Venus Williams could meet in the second round of the Australian Open. Third-seeded Gauff first played Williams at Wimbledon in 2019 when she was just 15. Williams, 45, has a wild-card entry and will be the oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open main draw. The tournament starts Sunday. Gauff will play Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round, while Williams will face Olga Danilovic. They’re in the same half of the draw as top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka.