Good morning — happy Wednesday. Austin Nivison here with a quick sports roundup: the Winter Olympics keep delivering, Team USA’s women’s hockey squad dominated Canada, Justin Verlander is returning to Detroit, LeBron’s All‑NBA run has ended, and Tiger Woods’ son has picked a college. Here’s what to know today.
5 things to know
1) USA women’s hockey blanked Canada 5–0. The Americans came into the preliminary round favored but their margin of victory surprised many. Hilary Knight set (or tied) the U.S. women’s Olympic scoring mark with an assist, and Team USA recorded its first Olympic shutout of Canada while cruising through the prelims (outscoring opponents 20–1) into the quarterfinals.
2) Justin Verlander is back with the Tigers on a one‑year, $13 million deal. The veteran right‑hander is rejoining the franchise that drafted him and where he spent his first 13 seasons. At 42 he isn’t the dominant ace of his 2011 Cy Young/MVP year, but he should add veteran depth to a rotation that hopes to push Detroit toward October.
3) Anthony Santander expected to miss five to six months after shoulder surgery. The Blue Jays will be without the outfielder/DH as he recovers from an operation on his right shoulder. Toronto had hoped Santander would rebound from an injury-plagued 2025 (he was limited to 54 games last year with shoulder inflammation), but this latest setback now threatens much of his season.
4) LeBron James’ streak of All‑NBA selections ends. Because James missed his 18th game of the 2025–26 season with arthritis in his left foot, he fell short of the league’s 65‑game minimum and will not extend his run of 21 consecutive seasons earning All‑NBA honors. Given how long he sustained that run, it’s a remarkable record that may stand for a long time.
5) Charlie Woods commits to Florida State. The younger Woods — currently ranked No. 21 in the USJGA and No. 9 in the 2027 class — announced he will play college golf in Tallahassee. He’ll join other top junior recruits, including Myles Russell, in the Seminoles’ lineup.
NFL:Teams that could take big strides
With the Super Bowl behind us, hopes are already shifting to 2026. Jared Dubin highlights five franchises with clear upside this offseason. The Tennessee Titans, coming off a 3–14 year, have huge offseason resources — plenty of draft capital and significant salary‑cap room — and a new head coach (Robert Saleh) who could produce immediate improvement if the front office spends aggressively to fill holes. The Dallas Cowboys are another team to watch; they’ll face major personnel choices this offseason, including what to do about WR George Pickens if he hits free agency — some analysts predict he could end up with an AFC West contender.
College basketball bracketology
After Arizona suffered its first loss Monday, Michigan (22–1) has taken over as the projected No. 1 overall seed in the latest bracketology. The selection committee appears to favor Michigan in part because the Wolverines have fewer Quad‑4 opponents than Arizona, a factor that can matter when two resumes are close. David Cobb notes the committee often rewards teams that avoided weaker opponents. In other college hoops news, USC’s freshman guard Aliya Arenas earned Freshman of the Week after a big win over Penn State — a notable comeback given she underwent knee surgery and was once placed in a medically induced coma following a serious car accident.
Olympic men’s hockey preview
Men’s Olympic hockey action starts today, with Sweden facing Slovakia and the NHL’s return to the Games after a 12‑year absence in full effect. Team USA, while not the clear favorite, boasts an elite goaltending group (including Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman) and hopes to capture its first men’s Olympic hockey gold since 1980. For full team previews and live coverage of today’s events, follow the ongoing Olympic updates.
Quick hits — best and worst of the rest
(Short items from around sports, including other Olympic results and notable performances.)
What to watch Wednesday
– Nordic combined: normal hill jump + 10km cross-country — Peacock, 4:00 a.m.
– Snowboarding: Women’s halfpipe qualifying — Peacock, 4:30 a.m.
– Alpine skiing: Men’s super‑G final — NBC, 5:30 a.m.
– Biathlon: Women’s 15km individual — Peacock, 8:15 a.m.
– Freestyle skiing: Women’s moguls final — USA Network, 8:15 a.m.
– Luge: doubles runs — NBC, 11:00 a.m.
– Speed skating: men’s 1000m — NBC, 12:30 p.m.
– Curling: men’s round robin (USA vs. Czech Republic) — Peacock, 1:05 p.m.
– Snowboarding: men’s halfpipe qualifying runs — USA Network, 1:30 p.m.
– Figure skating: ice dance free dance — NBC, 1:30 p.m.
– Men’s college basketball: No. 14 Florida at Georgia — ESPN, 7:00 p.m.
– NBA: Knicks vs. 76ers — ESPN, 7:30 p.m.; Spurs vs. Warriors — ESPN, 10:00 p.m.
– Women’s college basketball: UCLA vs. Michigan State — Peacock, 8:00 p.m.
Fan Take (NFL): The Titans’ vast draft capital and cap flexibility make them the most intriguing long‑term project — if Tennessee spends wisely, it could accelerate a rebuild into a contender and shift AFC pecking order. Meanwhile, big free‑agent moves like where George Pickens lands will influence the offseason market and could reshape division races, making this a high‑stakes stretch for roster construction across the league.
