Team USA takes on Italy in Olympic hockey quarterfinal clash

Olympians stay hungry.

Team USA meets Italy in Olympic quarterfinal clash

Team USA returns to the ice this afternoon, taking on host nation Italy in the Olympic quarterfinals as the US looks to further its dominant run.

• The US has outscored opponents 20-1 through four games, carrying a +19 goal differential into the knockouts after Tuesday’s 5-0 shutout win over defending champion Canada.

• University of Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey leads the team with seven points, while Abbey Murphy, Alex Carpenter, and captain Hilary Knight netted five points each so far. (See full stats)

Home ice: Italy enters as the No. 8 seed after going 2-2 in Group B, skating into the quarterfinals during the country’s first Winter Games appearance since 2006.

• Penn State star Matilde Fantin leads the squad with three goals — including two in Monday’s win over Japan — and has tallied four points in her Olympic debut.

• Italy approaches its first-ever clash with Team USA armed with several Canadian-born players, including 2014 and 2018 Team Canada gold medalist Laura Fortino.

Tune in: Team USA takes on Italy today at 3:10 PM ET, live on Peacock.

LSU hosts South Carolina in NCAA weekend headliner

The SEC takes center stage on Saturday, as No. 3 South Carolina takes on No. 6 LSU in what will likely be the pair’s final Top 10 regular-season test.

• The Gamecocks enter the matchup riding a five-game winning streak to a 10-1 conference record. They’ve done it with a 32.5-point average margin of victory, holding opponents to just 55.7 points per game and scoring 88.1 of their own. (See full stats)

• LSU is 8-1 in its last nine games, averaging a DI-leading 96.6 points, with three guards averaging at least 13 points per game. (See full stats)

Familiar foes: Star Tigers guard MiLaysia Fulwiley spent her first two seasons at South Carolina before transferring to LSU last year— then posted career highs in points, field goal percentage, and rebounds in Baton Rouge. 

• “I don’t think there was any animosity or hard feelings,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said, clarifying Fulwiley’s decision to leave the Gamecocks. “Internally she’s probably going to be a little bit excited [on Saturday], have butterflies, but she’s really a valuable part of our team.” 

• The SEC rivals last met in January 2025 — back when Fulwiley played in Columbia.

Tune in: South Carolina tips off against LSU tomorrow at 8:30 PM ET, live on ABC.

1st-round upsets rattle Unrivaled’s 1v1 bracket

Unrivaled’s opening 1v1 round delivered, as 11 matchups — including four upsets — loaded the bracket for tonight’s knockout slate.

• No. 6 seed Sonia Citron got the upsets started with a splashy 12-10 win over No. 3 Marina Mabrey, before No. 7 Rae Burrell beat No. 2 Rhyne Howard 12-9, No. 6 Shakira Austin topped No. 3 Dearica Hamby 12-10, and No. 5 Veronica Burton shut out No. 4 Courtney Williams 11-0.

• The No. 1 seeds saw a chalkier path, with Paige Bueckers ousting Kate Martin 12-5, Breanna Stewart handling Li Yueru 11-6, and Kelsey Mitchell downing Rachel Banham 12-3. (See full bracket) 

Next up: Tonight’s bill kicks off with second-round showdowns before the quarterfinals narrow the pool down to four, with Saturday’s semifinals and final crowning Unrivaled’s new 1v1 champion.

• Friday matchups to watch include Bueckers squaring off against Wings teammate Arike Ogunbowale, Stewart taking on fellow big Aliyah Boston, Austin facing defending 1v1 runner-up Aaliyah Edwards, and Citron meeting fellow underdog Burrell. (See full schedule)

Tune in: The 1v1 tournament’s round two tips off tonight at 7:30 PM ET, live on TNT.

Grab a front-row seat to the 2026 Winter Games, as Team USA speed skater Kristen Santos-Griswold steps into this week’s JWS spotlight.

• After missing the podium in Beijing 2022, Santos-Griswold reflects on the pressure, heartbreak, and perspective that come with chasing gold, opening up about learning to enjoy the journey, navigating expectations as an Olympic frontrunner, and how she keeps the faith when things spin out of control.

Tune in: Watch Chasing Gold: Kristen Santos-Griswold on YouTube.

Gaon Choi ends Chloe Kim’s Olympic halfpipe reign

Team USA star Chloe Kim’s three-peat quest is over, after South Korea’s 17-year-old Gaon Choi become Olympic snowboarding’s youngest-ever gold medalist with yesterday’s 90.25-point halfpipe performance.

• Kim led for most of the event with a score of 88.00, until Choi — who required medical attention after falling in both of her first attempts — stole the show in her final run. 

• Kim was forced to settle for silver after the back-to-back gold medalist’s final run ended in a tumble, with Japan’s Mitsuki Ono taking bronze. (Watch full highlights)

Moving on: Kim’s campaign may have ended, but Olympic snowboarding carries on, as Australia’s Josie Baff took gold in this morning’s cross final.

Parker, Delle Donne headline Hall of Fame finalists

The 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalists were announced on Wednesday, with WNBA icons Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne leading the 21-player lineup.

• Two-time MVP Parker retired as the only WNBA player to win championships with three different teams, while remaining the only player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (2008).

• Fellow two-time MVP Delle Donne led the Washington Mystics to their first title in 2019 and registered the league’s first 50/40/90 season.

• The gold medal-winning 1996 US Women’s Basketball Team also made the cut, alongside women’s basketball veterans Jennifer Azzi, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Molly Bolin-Kazmier. (See full list)

Stay tuned: The Class of 2026 will be announced during the NCAA Final Four, with the induction ceremony set for August 2026.

Quote of the day

Pop superstar Taylor Swift
commenting on US skier Breezy Johnson’s engagement post after the Olympic gold medalist’s boyfriend proposed at Wednesday’s super-G finish line.