CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn is back in the United States after she suffered a complex tibia fracture at the 2026 Winter Olympics, she announced on social media on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

‘Haven’t stood on my feet in over a week…,’ Vonn wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. ‘been in a hospital bed immobile since my race. And although I’m not yet able to stand, being back on home soil feels amazing.’

What happened to Lindsey Vonn?

Vonn hooked the fourth gate with her right arm, which sent her spinning and hurtling into the hard, packed snow. She tumbled end over end several times before coming to a stop.

‘Things just happen so quick in this sport,’ U.S. teammate Bella Wright said after the race. ‘It looked like Lindsey had incredible speed out of that turn, and she hooked her arm and it’s just over just like that.’

The three-time Olympic medalist remained prone in the snow, and she could be heard wailing in pain. The gasps and groans from fans faded into shocked silence as medics worked on her. Vonn remained on the course for approximately 13 minutes before being loaded into a helicopter.

What is Lindsey Vonn’s injury?

In an Instagram post on Feb. 9, Vonn shared the devastating news that she suffered a complex tibia fracture that will require multiple surgeries. The 41-year-old updated fans on Feb. 11 after a third surgery in Italy and included some gruseome photos of her progress. On Feb. 14, Vonn posted after her third surgery that she still has more procedures ahead of her, but was finally able to return to the United States.

‘Once I’m back I will give you more updates and info about my injury,’ Vonn wrote.

A tibia fracture is a break in the shin bone that is an emergency needing immediate treatment. ‘Your tibias are some of the strongest bones in your body. It usually takes a lot of force to break one,’ according to the Cleveland Clinic. ‘You probably won’t be able to stand, walk or put weight on your leg if you have a broken shin bone.’

A complex fracture involves multiple breaks in a bone and damaged soft tissue, according Yale Medicine. Symptoms include extreme pain, numbness and, sometimes, a bone that protrudes through the skin. Treatment involves stabilization and surgery.

Lindsey Vonn crash video

NBC broadcasts the Olympics and posted video of Vonn’s crash.

USA TODAY Sports’ Samantha Cardona-Norberg breaks down Linsdey Vonn’s crash just after it happened.

Fans went silent as soon as Vonn crash, reacting with shock, grief and later support as the helicopter lifted her into the sky. USA TODAY Sports talked to some fans after the crash .

Is Lindsey Vonn OK?

Vonn was in obvious pain after the crash, but she was moving her arms, head and neck.

About 18 minutes after the crash, the helicopter slowly began flying toward Cortina. ‘Let’s let Lindsey Vonn hear us!’ the American announcer said as the chopper flew away with her, and the crowd cheered and applauded.

Vonn’s sister Karin Kildow was at the course today for the downhill and spoke to NBC reporters during their live broadcast:

‘I mean that definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay. And it was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign,’ Kildow said. ‘But she really … She just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see, but we just really hope she’s okay.

‘She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at.’

Lindsey Vonn torn ACL

It was second time in as many weeks Vonn left a mountaintop on a chopper. She fully ruptured her left ACL, sustaining meniscus damage and bone bruising, in a downhill crash on Jan. 30, in the final World Cup event prior to the start of the Olympics.

Vonn is also skiing with a partial replacement of her right knee. She had dominated the sport before the crash, making the podium in all five downhill races this season and winning two of them.

Despite the latest injury, Vonn was determined to race at her fifth and final Olympics. She said her knee felt stable and strong, and she had spent the last week doing intense rehab, pool workouts, weight lifting and plyometrics. She skied both training runs, posting the third-fastest time in the second run before it was canceled because of fog and snow.

Lindsey Vonn torn ACL

Vonn is 41 and was skiing in her fifth Winter Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010, 2018, 2026). She has won three Olympic medals (1 gold, 2 bronze).

Anthony Edwards furthered his case to be the face of the NBA after securing the All-Star Game MVP at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, Feb. 15.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star joined a list of ASG MVP winners that includes Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James. Each of those players spent time as the face of the league.

Edwards produced 32 points during the three mini games he played in for Team Stars (USA) on Sunday.

The league introduced a new format for the All-Star Game this year with three teams, two consisting of American players and a World team that featured players with international ties, playing each other in a small tournament to determine which two teams would meet in the championship game.

Edwards has acknowledged the potential of being the face of the league, but it isn’t something he’s necessarily chasing.

‘It isn’t something I’m out here shooting for, if it happens, it happens,” Edwards told NBA TV after the game. “I’m not somebody like ‘oh I’m trying to be the face of the league,’ but if it happens, it happens.’

Edwards did not shy away when pointing out that some of the NBA’s best players saw minimal action on Sunday.

‘No shade towards Luka (Doncic) and (Nikola) Jokić, but like they are two of the best players in the league, they’re not trying to play in the All-Star Game,’ Edwards said during an interview on NBA TV.

Nikola Jokić saw limited action, playing just over five minutes during the first game, collecting two defensive rebounds and shooting 0-for-1 from the field. He had not been listed on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report but was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee injury in December that caused him to miss 16 games.

Luka Doncic also played just over five minutes for Team World, shooting 1-of-3 from the field (0-for-2 from the 3-point line) with two assists. Doncic suffered a left hamstring strain on Feb. 5 and missed four consecutive games for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf strain) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) did not play for Team World due to injuries.

Anthony Edwards career stats

Anthony Edwards has averaged 24.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in 427 NBA games played.

MILAN — For most of the 21st century, U.S. pairs figure skating has been an afterthought. 

While the men, women and ice dance sent three representatives in their respective disciplines, it became the norm to just send two pairs. Even then, they weren’t really medal favorites. It was never something Team USA boasted. 

But things appear to be changing in the right direction.

While not quiet podium contenders, the teams of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea with Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe showed the American pairs division is on the rise, starting the short program on a strong note to set up what could be a milestone finish.

Team USA’s night on Sunday, Feb. 15 began with a team that technically got in thanks to some lucky breaks. National champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, as well as third-place finishers Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman, couldn’t qualify for the Olympics due to citizenship issues, opening the door for the fourth-place finishers in Chan and Howe.

It was at the U.S. figure skating championships where the two had a rough short program, riddled with mistakes that almost took them out of Olympic contention immediately. Clearly, a month of preparation helped. 

There was a night-and-day difference in their performance, highlighted by a dazzling triple toe loop. Even better, no mess-ups.

“It was a bit of a sigh of relief and just excitement,” Chan said of her reaction when the program was finished. “We really went out there and we were together, and we experienced that whole entire program together. I just felt on the top of the mountain.”

Chan and Howe earned a score of 70.06, more than 10 points of what they got in the same program one month ago. It earned praise from 2006 ice dance medalist Ben Agosto, telling the crowd inside Milano Ice Skating Arena it was the “best I’ve seen them in a long time.”

“A big goal has always just been getting out there and feeling good, because if you can feel good, then you have your best chances of delivering what you need to do,” Howe said. “I just felt really laser focused out there.”

That set it up for the team event’s unsung heroes. After playing a critical role in the U.S. winning gold, Kam and O’Shea rode the wave from a week ago. However, the short program in the team event was tough since Kam fell on the throw triple loop. 

Since winning gold, they spent time away from the Olympic Village to pull the emotions together, but keep the good vibes going.

This time around, there was no hitting the ice. Kam was able to keep her balance on the throw, proof their plan worked.

“It feels like we were able to keep all the good momentum and the good things that we wanted to take from the team event and leave all the rest that we didn’t need behind,” she said.

Despite some minor self-inflicted mistakes from O’Shea, the pair didn’t just get a better score than the team event. They got a season-best 71.87.

“We definitely had a little more jitters,” O’Shea recalled of their first outing. “Since then, we’ve been able to settle in and really reframe and refocus on having the time of our lives. 

“The performance itself is something we’re really proud of,” he added. “We stayed on our feet, got rid of those bigger mistakes and got a season’s best.”

Improvement in US figure skating pairs

Heading into the free skate, Kam and O’Shea are in seventh place with Chan and Howe in ninth. It may not seem impressive, but it marks quite the accomplishment. With the 2022 Games, the U.S. has now had two pairs in the top 10 of the standings after the short program in back-to-back Olympics for the first time in the 21st century.

O’Shea credited Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, whose sixth place finish in 2022 was Team USA’s best since 2002, for opening the door for improvement in the category, and frankly, the reason he and Kam are now partners.

“We’re only getting better,” she said.

Now, the U.S. can complete it in the free dance by having two top 10 finishers in back-to-back Olympics for the first time this century. It’s nothing to brag about, but it shows there’s an upward trend for a discipline that’s been desperately looking for one for decades.

Will either team snap the skid and be the first American pair to win an Olympic medal since 1988? Not likely, but given how unpredictable figure skating has gone in Milano Cortina, including in the pairs, nothing can be entirely ruled out.

Medal or not, the two teams are proving there’s a resurgence in pairs, and it may be a few Olympics away from finally standing on that podium once again.

“I’m so proud of what the pairs in the US have been doing,” O’Shea said. “We really hope to keep that tradition going.”

While the world’s attention is naturally on the Olympics right now, the NCAA men’s hockey season is getting into the stretch run. Oh, and there is one current college player in Milano, as Minnesota-Duluth’s Adam Gajan, the Chicago Blackhawks prospect, is on Team Slovakia. Gajan hasn’t seen any action in the Olympics yet and there’s a very good chance he won’t get between the pipes at all, but just the fact he’s around this atmosphere and practicing with NHLers such as Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec is great experience for the youngster.

In the meantime, Boston College won the Beanpot earlier this week, defeating their archrivals from Boston University to claim the famed city-wide trophy. With Team USA’s Olympic squad featuring Eagles alum such as Matt Boldy and Noah Hanifin and former Terriers such as Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk and Charlie McAvoy, I’m going to assume it came up once or twice in the dressing room this week. Now let’s get to the rankings.

1. Michigan Wolverines (24-5-1)

Taking on a rested Penn State squad, the Wolverines came away with two more wins, though the first contest did go to a shootout. Nonetheless, Michigan continues to dominate the NCAA rankings. Free agent T.J. Hughes is still the top scorer on the team, while goalie Jack Ivankovic (NSH) is finding his range again after returning from injury.

2. Michigan State Spartans (22-6-0)

The Spartans had the weekend off, but remain in second spot based on their overall season. Michigan State’s final games of the regular season are against the three weakest teams in the Big Ten (Ohio State, Notre Dame and Minnesota), so they could run the table. Trey Augustine (DET) remains hot in net with a 1.96 goals-against average.

3. North Dakota Fighting Hawks (23-7-0)

A sweep of Miami means the Hawks continue to roll in a deep, difficult conference. Defenseman Abram Wiebe (CGY) had a beauty overtime winner against the Redhawks, while even defensive blueliner E.J. Emery (NYR) found the scoreboard. Needless to say, NoDak is a team that can beat you from all angles.

4. Western Michigan Broncos (22-8-0)

The Broncos blasted Arizona State over the weekend by a combined score of 13-4. That means they’ve still only lost two games since the calendar flipped over to 2026 and after an uneven start to the campaign, the defending national champions seem to be rounding into form at the right time. Junior Grant Slukynsky leads the offense with 33 points in 30 games.

5. Quinnipiac Bobcats (24-5-3)

While the Bobcats are still paced by scoring machine Ethan Wyttenbach (CGY), they’re not a one-man team by any means. Freshmen Antonin Verreault and Marcus Vidicek, both of whom came from the major junior ranks, have also been solid contributors to a team that is really looking dangerous this season.

6. Denver Pioneers (19-11-3)

Sweeping Omaha has the Pioneers continuing on the ascent and now Denver has just one regular-season series left, against Arizona State. Rieger Lorenz (MIN) has been red-hot with seven points in his past five games, while defenseman Eric Pohlkamp (SJ) still leads the team in overall scoring with 31 points in 33 games.

7. Providence College Friars (19-8-2)

Like Western Michigan, the Friars have lost only two games in 2026 – though one of them was this past weekend against a Northeastern team that has been dangerous. Providence has a decent lead atop Hockey East and with other programs exhibiting a lot of inconsistency, the Friars are in a good spot as the post-season nears.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions (18-9-1)

True, Penn State was swept by Michigan on the weekend – but at least they pushed one of the contests into the shootout. Gavin McKenna (2026 draft) was an obvious target for trolling by the Wolverines’ fans, but he did manage an assist. Reese Laubach (SJ) actually had a great weekend with four points against Michigan.

9. Boston College Eagles (17-10-1)

It feels like the Eagles are on the cusp of something, they just haven’t quite gotten over the hump so far this season. After winning the Beanpot (a big deal), they split with Merrimack this weekend, which is not ideal. On the positive side, freshman Oscar Hemming (2026) got his first NCAA goal and now has eight points in 12 games since joining the team midway through the year.

10. Connecticut Huskies (17-7-4)

The key to UConn’s success lately has been defense. The Huskies have given up just three goals total in their past three games – and they all came in a shootout win over Maine. Netminder Tyler Muszelik (FLA) can take a lot of the credit for that too, as he was the goalie of record in all of those matches.

Former NFL offensive lineman Tre’ Johnson died on Sunday while the family was on a trip, according to a Facebook post from his wife, Irene. He was 54 years old.

‘It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that my husband, Tre’ Johnson, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly … during a brief family trip,’ Irene Johnson wrote. ‘His four children, Chloe, EJ, EZ and Eden, extended family, friends, and I are devastated and in shock.’

After playing college football at Temple, he was selected with the 31st overall pick in the 1994 draft by Washington. Johnson spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career in Washington before spending the 2001 season with the Browns.

He returned to Washington for his final season in the league, starting three of the 10 games he played in during the 2002 season.

He started 72 of the 93 games he played in, and was also named to the Pro Bowl in 1999.

The Washington Commanders posted the following on their official X account: ‘We’re heartbroken to learn of the loss of former Washington All-Pro guard Tre’ Johnson. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.’

After finishing his NFL career, he became a history teacher at Landon School, a private school in Bethesda, Maryland. Johnson had taken a leave of absence from the school due to recent health issues, according to his wife.

Jerome Tang is out as Kansas State basketball coach.

The school announced the firing Sunday night, Feb. 15.

“This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men’s basketball program,’ K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said. “Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. We wish Coach Tang and his family all the best moving forward.”

At a Sunday night news conference, Taylor said Tang ‘has been terminated for cause.’

The Wildcats are 10-15 this season with a 1-11 record in Big 12 play, which comes a season after final records of 16-17 in 2024-25 and 19-15 in 2023-24.

The decision comes days after Tang’s scorched-earth news conference following Kansas State’s 91-62 home loss to Cincinnati on Feb. 11, where Wildcats fans were wearing paper bags over their heads. Tang said his players didn’t deserve to wear the school’s uniforms after the performance.

Kansas State is coming off a 78-64 loss to Houston on Feb. 14, in which its players had their names removed from their jerseys for the game.

What did Jerome Tang say to get fired?

‘This was embarrassing,’ Tang said after the Cincinnati loss. ‘These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It’s just ridiculous.

‘We have practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow. I have no answers or no words. Y’all got two questions, so whoever wants to ask two questions, I’ll answer ’em to the best of my ability right now. But right now, I’m pissed.

‘These dudes have to have some pride, man. It means something to wear a K-State uniform. It means something to put on this purple, man. Our university’s all about that, and it’s why I love this place, man. They don’t love this place, so they don’t deserve to be here.’

What Kansas State AD Gene Taylor said about firing Jerome Tang

At Sunday’s news conference announcing the firing, Taylor said, ‘What he said about the student-athletes really concerned me.’

‘There’s language in his contract that addresses certain things that could potentially bring embarrassment,’ Taylor added. ‘Basically, his comments about the student-athletes and the negative reaction to those comments from a lot of sources, both nationally and locally is where I kind of thought we needed to make the decision.’

As of Sunday night, the school still has Tang’s postgame news conference from the Cincinnati game live on its YouTube page.

Jerome Tang buyout, contract

Tang’s buyout is set at $18.675 million, according to the USA TODAY Sports head coaches salaries database.

K-State’s athletic director said Tang was fired ‘for cause’, which would affect the conditions of the buyout.

Tang had five years remaining on his contract.

What did Jerome Tang say about being fired by Kansas State?

In a statement to ESPN, the former Kansas State coach said:

“I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination. I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.

‘I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the opportunity to serve as Head Coach at Kansas State. It has been one of the great honors of my life.

‘I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special. I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes.’

How can Kansas State fire Jerome Tang for cause?

Kansas State can fire Tang for cause for the following reasons:

• ***Material breach of his agreement, intentional negligence, or other failure or refusal to perform his duties and responsibilities as head coach.
• Insubordination; objectionable behavior
• Failure to report any and all violations of NCAA rules
• Fraud or dishonesty related to submitting documents to the NCAA
• Serious or multiple rules violations involving himself, an assistant or staff member
• Failure to reasonably respond accurately and fully within a reasonable time relating to the coach’s duties to the athletic director
• Instruct a coach, student or other person to respond inaccurately, inappropriately or incompetently or destroy or conceal evidence concerning a matter to a student or athletic program
• Fail to obtain required approval for outside activities

*** — Among the notable duties listed in Tang’s contract is to conduct himself in a manner consistent with being the head coach. It says that Tang is not to engage in any behavior, actions, or activities that subject himself, Kansas State athletics, or the university to public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule, or scandal, with such conduct reflecting unfavorably on K-State athletics.

What’s next at Kansas State?

Tang, a former longtime Baylor assistant, led Kansas State to the Elite Eight in his first year with the program in 2022-23 before eventually falling to national runner-up Florida Atlantic. The fall from grace was fast after reaching impressive heights as a first-year head coach.

Kansas State has three Elite Eight appearances since 2010 under three different coaches — Tang (2023) Bruce Weber (2018) and Frank Martin (2010). The school has produced numerous high-level coaches throughout the years, including Lon Kruger, Dana Altman and Bob Huggins, to name a few.

Associate head coach Matthew Driscoll will serve as interim head coach, Taylor said, as K-State begins its search for Tang’s replacement.

Damian Lillard was a shocking addition to the NBA’s 3-point contest during All-Star weekend, given that the 35-year-old, nine-time All-Star hasn’t played a single minute of NBA basketball this year.

His inclusion in the event was head-scratching to many fans. Still, there’s no denying that Lillard is one of the best shooters in NBA history.

Not only has he shot over 35% from 3 in nine of his last 10 seasons, but he has won the 3-point contest twice already — 2023 and 2024. He was aiming to become just the third player in NBA history to win the event three times, and the first to do so non-consecutively.

Larry Bird won the event every year from 1986 to 1988, while Craig Hodges won the event each year from 1990 to 1992.

Lillard had a chance to make history. So, did he do it? Here are the full results from the 2026 NBA 3-point contest:

2026 NBA 3-point contest results

First round

*-advanced to the final round

• Devin Booker* – 30
• Damian Lillard* – 27
• Kon Knueppel* – 27
• Donovan Mitchell – 24
• Norman Powell – 23
• Jamal Murray – 18
• Tyrese Maxey – 17
• Bobby Portis Jr. – 15

Finals

1. Damian Lillard – 29
2. Devin Booker – 27
3. Kon Knueppel – 17

Booker missed the final three shots of his last rack, wasting three opportunities to tie and possibly win the event. Lillard’s win makes him the third three-time champion.

What did Damian Lillard score in his prior two wins?

In 2023, Lillard scored 26 points in the finals. His competitors, Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, scored 25 and 17 respectively.

In 2024, Lillard, a model of consistency in this event, scored 26 points yet again, beating Trae Young (24) and Karl-Anthony Towns (22).

Lillard’s 29 points in 2026 mark the most he’s ever scored in a 3-point contest win.

The selection committee for the women’s NCAA Tournament has given fans their first glimpse as to what seeding might look like when March Madness rolls around.

Ahead of the clash between SEC contenders South Carolina and LSU on Feb. 14, the committee unveiled its first of two projections for the top 16 seeds. Members of the committee met in Indianapolis a few days ago to put together a mock bracket.

Undefeated UConn was tabbed as the No. 1 overall seed, followed by UCLA, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. The Commodores defeated Texas 86-70 at home on Thursday, a victory that seemingly pushed Shea Ralph’s team to the one-line. Vanderbilt hasn’t been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 2002.

Full top 16 projection:

1. UConn
2. UCLA
3. South Carolina
4. Vanderbilt
5. Texas
6. Michigan
7. Louisville
8. LSU
9. Ohio State
10. Duke
11. Iowa
12. TCU
13. Maryland
14. Michigan State
15. Ole Miss
16. Oklahoma

Big Ten, SEC dominant in women’s basketball

The Big Ten and SEC have looked like the deepest and most competitive conferences in women’s college basketball all season and both were rewarded in this first projection with six seeds each in the top 16.

If Ole Miss holds on to its spot, it would be a historic seeding for the Rebels. They haven’t been a top-four seed since 1992. Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s team is 20-5 this season and has won six of its last eight games. But the Rebels have a tough schedule coming up with four consecutive games against ranked opponents within the next eight days: Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU and South Carolina.

Michigan State is projected to host opening weekend games for the first time since 2016.

In this projection, the ACC has two top 16 seeds, while the Big 12 and Big East have just one each. Opportunities remain for teams like Baylor, West Virginia and North Carolina to play their way into hosting rights.

The selection committee will unveil a second projection of the top 16 seeds in two weeks, on Sunday, March 1, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN. The day before Selection Sunday — March 14 — the committee will announce which teams earned top 16 seeds and hosting rights before revealing the full bracket.