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TCU rises, Iowa falls in AP Poll shift

This week’s AP Poll featured few dramatics, reflecting another consistent slate from NCAA basketball’s elite with only one Top 10 shift and marginal movement at the bottom.

• Undefeated TCU keeps making gains, rising one spot to tie Oklahoma at No. 8 after taking down conference foe Kansas State 77-55 behind senior guard Olivia Miles’s 29 points.

• No. 14 Iowa skidded three spots after Saturday’s 90-64 loss to No. 1 UConn, falling to 1-2 against ranked opponents this season.

Big picture: While the Top 10 saw little movement, some blue chip programs are threatening to exit the AP Poll entirely after dropping ranked games this week.

• No. 22 Baylor experienced the greatest slide, after falling to conference opponent No. 21 Texas Tech 61-60 in Sunday’s intra-state rivalry.

• No. 23 Tennessee saw a similar dip, plummeting seven spots after losing to surging No. 13 Louisville 89-65 on Saturday. (See full rankings)

Up next: The ranked action returns Sunday, as No. 4 UCLA takes on No. 19 Ohio State at 2 PM ET, live on Big Ten Network.

Report: NWSL targets Cat Macario for possible Chelsea transfer

USWNT star Catarina Macario could be on the move, with ESPN reporting Monday that numerous NWSL teams are interested in making a play for the 26-year-old Chelsea forward’s services.

• Macario’s contract with the reigning WSL champions expires on July 1st, 2026, though she’s able to sign with a new club as early as January according to FIFA regulations, with other European clubs expected to join the race.

• Despite leading the USWNT this year with eight goals, Macario didn’t dress for Chelsea’s recent UWCL league-phase finale against Wolfsburg and started in just six of the Blues’ 11 WSL matches.

Big picture: Should the NWSL make an offer, its viability could hinge on the league’s current salary cap dispute, with the Board of Governors suggesting adopting a “High Impact Player” rule to help clubs keep or attract big names.

• The NWSL Players Association came out against the mechanism last week, pushing instead to raise the overall cap to match any potential special relief.

Bottom line: It might be speculation for now, but leagues on both sides of the Atlantic are grappling with maintaining and drawing top talent in the increasingly competitive — and expensive — global women’s game.

US ski legend Lindsey Vonn turns back the clock

41-year-old skiing icon Lindsey Vonn is officially back, taking first at St. Moritz, Switzerland this month to become the oldest Alpine Ski World Cup winner since the circuit’s 1967 inception.

• “Every single thing that I could do to be faster, I did,” said Vonn after the downhill event. “And now, now this is what happens. You get the reward.”

Ramping up: Returning to competitive skiing in 2024 with the 2026 Winter Olympics on the horizon, Vonn’s resurgence is thriving as she rises to No. 1 in the World Cup downhill standings and No. 3 in the Super-G.

• Vonn took third in both the downhill and Super-G this weekend, finishing at least fourth in all five races she’s attempted this season.

• “Four podiums in five races, I couldn’t really be any happier,” the Olympic gold medalist said.

Bright future: “I think I might need to change my approach,” Vonn said of her previous plans to retire immediately after February’s Winter Games, now setting her sights on completing the World Cup circuit in March.

South Carolina adds international talent midseason

No. 3 South Carolina is calling in the reinforcements, announcing Monday that French forward Alicia Tournebize will join the NCAA team after the holidays.

• “Alicia has an incredible skill set and basketball IQ,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said in a news release. “She has great touch around the rim, can shoot it out to the three-point line, and is a shot blocker.”

Big picture: While they’ve only dropped one game this season, the Gamecocks have been running thin due to injuries — including losing star forward Chloe Kitts to a season-ending ACL injury in October.

• Standing 6-foot-7, Tournebize rivals Chicago Sky forward Kamilla Cardoso as one of Staley’s tallest-ever South Carolina players.

• The 18-year-old comes to Columbia from French professional club Tango Bourges Basket, set to make her NCAA debut in early 2026.

Boston signs Gotham forward Ella Stevens

2026 NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy is stocking up, signing former Gotham forward Ella Stevens to a two-year contract with a mutual third-year option in another top talent grab.

• “It’s a blank slate. It’s a new challenge, the staff, the coach. I just think the energy is here, and I want to win,” Stevens said in Monday’s press release.

Big picture: Stevens joined Gotham in 2024 after four seasons with Chicago, winning both the 2025 Concacaf W Champions Cup and the 2025 NWSL Championship with her new team in quick succession.

• “Ella is a proven NWSL player whose best years are still ahead of her. She brings a strong team-first mindset and competitiveness that fits exactly with what we’re building in Boston,” said Boston Legacy GM Domè Guasch.

FIBA Hall of Fame taps WNBA icon Sue Bird

WNBA and Team USA icon Sue Bird added another accolade, becoming the only US player inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 this weekend.

• Bird tallied five Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball, winning every Olympic matchup she played from 2004 to 2021.

• The 45-year-old was appointed managing director for US Women’s Basketball in May 2025, after retiring from a decorated WNBA career that featured four WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm and entry into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Full house: FIBA’s Class of 2026 spans six players and a coach, with past inductees including women’s basketball titans Dawn Staley, Penny Taylor, and Geno Auriemma.

Number of the day 

30

Notre Dame junior Hannah Hidalgo registered a program-first 30-point triple-double in Sunday’s 110-38 win over Bellarmine.