The Philadelphia Phillies, frustrated in their negotiations to bring back free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, are looking into the possibility of shaking up their roster and finding a creative way to add free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, a high-ranking Phillies executive told USA TODAY Sports.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing talks, but confirmed a report by The Athletic that the Phillies scheduled a virtual meeting with Bichette on Monday, Jan. 12 to discuss the possibility of joining the Phillies.

Two Phillies executives cautioned that signing Bichette remains a long-shot, insisting it would be complicated and involve significant roster changes, but that it’s certainly possible.

The Phillies would have to cut off negotiations with Realmuto, trade third baseman Alec Bohm and his $10.2 million salary, find a team who would take right fielder Nick Castellanos and pay at least a small portion of his $20 million salary, and perhaps move others as well.

The Phillies’ interest in potentially signing Bichette came about after the holidays when Bichette expressed a desire in playing for them, particularly after the hiring last week of Don Mattingly as their bench coach. Mattingly was the Toronto Blue Jays’ bench coach the past three years and became close to Bichette.

Bichette, 27, who has played shortstop throughout his career, also said he would be willing to move to second base, where he appeared during the World Series, or even third base.

Certainly, there is competition for Bichette, who is seeking a long-term deal likely worth at least $250 million. If the Boston Red Sox can’t re-sign shortstop Alex Bregman, they’ll turn to Bichette. The Chicago Cubs have expressed interest in both infielders. The Los Angeles Dodgers would gladly sign Bichette if he was interested on a short-term contract. And the door isn’t shut on a return to Toronto, where he has spent his entire career.

Still, with a projected luxury payroll of about $300 million, according to Spotrac, the Phillies say they would need to clear salary for Bichette. They would also need to find a catcher to replace Realmuto, 35, their three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, who has been instrumental in their four-year playoff run.

The Phillies say they’re serious, and perhaps by next week we’ll find out just how realistic this could actually become, with Bichette being the latest high-priced star to join the Phillies.

Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.

HARTFORD, CT — Sarah Strong had 24 points, including 19 in the first half, to help No. 1 ranked UConn women’s basketball team beat St. John’s, 88-43, in Big East play on Wednesday at PeoplesBank Arena.

The sophomore phenom added team-best six steals and the Huskies totaled 23 for the game.

‘She has a knack that she has to put her hands, you know, get a piece of the ball every time she reaches for it,’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said of Strong. ‘You know, there’s some kids reach, and they come in, either come out with air, or they come out with a foul, you know, she manages to get her hands on the ball.’

The Huskies, who have won 54 straight conference games, took a 20-2 lead less than five minutes into the game and never looked back. UConn (16-0, 7-0 Big East) continued their smothering defense with 46 points off of turnovers.

‘I thought our energy was incredible, and I thought we were flying to the ball and covered for each other really, really well,’ Auriemma said. ‘The best that I think I’ve seen so far this year.’

Azzi Fudd added 16 points and freshman Blanca Quiñonez had 14. KK Arnold stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, six steals and four assists.

St. John’s (13-4, 3-3) had 14 points from Beautiful Waheed.

Third quarter: UConn 72, St. John’s 32

The Huskies are shooting 60% from the floor and have taken a 40-point lead. UConn has 19 assists and 19 steals and has scored 40 points off 28 St. John’s turnovers.

Sarah Strong has 24 points on 11 of 15 shooting.

Sa’Mya Wyatt and Beautiful Waheed have nine points each for St. John’s.

Three UConn players in double figures

Sarah Strong has 19 points, Azzi Fudd 16 and KK Arnold 11 as the Huskies continue to make easy work of St. John’s.

Halftime: UConn 50, St John’s 22

Sarah Strong has 19 points, five steals and three assists as the Huskies are dominating the Red Storm. KK Arnold, in her second game back after breaking her nose in practice eight days ago, has 9 points, 5 steals and 4 assists.

Sa’Mya Wyatt and Beautiful Waheed have six points each for St. John’s.

Sarah Strong is going off

The sophomore player of the year candidate just hit her first 3 of the contest. She has 19 points.

First quarter: UConn 28, St. John’s 9

The Huskies jumped out to a 20-2 with 5:29 left in the first quarter. UConn has 22 points in the paint, 18 points off turnovers and 14 points in the paint. KK Arnold has seven points and five steals in the early going.

We are underway in Hartford

Sarah Strong converts a layup after a steal to getting the scoring started. And, just like that, UConn is up 8-0.

What time is UConn vs St. John’s women’s basketball?

The UConn Huskies host the St. John’s Red Storm on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 7:30 p.m. ET at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut.

UConn vs St. John’s: TV, streaming

• Date: Wednesday, Jan. 8
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT)
• Location: PeoplesBank Arena (Hartford, Connecticut)
• TV: TruTV
• Stream: Fubo

Stream live sports with Fubo

St. John’s starting lineup

UConn starting lineup

St. John’s in the house

AI-assisted summary
• Black coaches are rarely given second chances after being fired, unlike many of their white counterparts.
• Experts suggest Black coaches are often judged collectively, while white coaches are evaluated as individuals.
• The number of Black head coaches in the FBS has decreased from 17 in 2011 to 14 today.

The two most powerful leagues in college football began the 2025 season with a combined four Black head coaches out of 34 schools from coast to coast.

∎ There were no Black head coaches in the Southeastern Conference.

∎ In the Big Ten, there were four, including Sherrone Moore, the first Black head coach in Michigan history.

Four months later, only one remains — Mike Locksley at Maryland. The others were terminated, most notably Moore, who fell from grace in the kind of scandal that can unfairly affect perceptions of other Black coaches in ways that don’t affect white coaches after similar scandals, according to experts contacted by USA TODAY Sports.

“These Black coaches are often evaluated collectively, while white coaches, our peers, are evaluated individually,” said former San Jose State head coach Fitz Hill, who is Black. “That’s the difference. And that’s because when you look at minorities, you group minorities. That’s just a rational cognitive process.”

That doesn’t make it fair, however, Hill said.

After another round of firings and hirings in college football, USA TODAY Sports updated its historical data on Black head coaches and gathered additional context to put the fallout from Moore’s firing into perspective from the standpoint of race. The picture it paints isn’t exactly bright.

What it means and why it might get worse

The data compiled by USA TODAY Sports shows Black coaches still rarely get second chances after failures, primarily because they seldom get first chances. There are only 14 Black head coaches out of 136 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), where nearly half the players are Black. That’s down from 17 out of 120 major college teams in 2011.

Meanwhile, the SEC hasn’t had a non-interim Black head coach since 2020. Out of 34 coaches in the Big Ten and SEC, 33 are white and one is Black.

In the bigger picture, all of this comes against the backdrop of colleges living in fear of the Trump Administration’s crackdown on efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

“I’m afraid that in the current climate, where DEI and efforts along those lines have been really sidelined in a major way, that it’s going to get worse, not better,” said Richard Lapchick, founder of Institute for Sport and Social Justice.

Short list of Black coaches with second chances vs. white coaches

In all of college football history, only five Black coaches have been given second chances as non-interim head coaches in the Power Four conferences after previously being fired from another head coaching job in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), according to USA TODAY Sports research. It’s a short list: Tyrone Willingham, Mike Locksley, Kevin Sumlin, Karl Dorrell and James Franklin, who recently was hired at Virginia Tech after getting fired from Penn State in the Big Ten.

Outside the Power Four leagues, only three Black head coaches in FBS history have gotten second chances after firings as FBS coaches: Charlie Strong, Willie Taggart and Derek Mason.

By contrast, 17 current white head coaches in the FBS are on their second or third chance after previously getting fired as an FBS head coach, including three in the Big Ten and two in the SEC. New LSU coach Lane Kiffin, who is white, even was considered the hottest candidate on the market after previously being fired as head coach of Southern California and the NFL’s Oakland Raiders.

White coaches survive scandals, too

Several white head coaches also have survived getting arrested or hiding an extramarital affair with a staff member to get a second chance as head coach. But some don’t think Moore will get that same opportunity despite leading Michigan to a 9-3 record in 2025. He violated school policy for hiding an extramarital affair with a staff member and then got arrested for allegedly invading her home after his firing.

“Will Moore get the same second chances his white counterparts receive?” asked Sandy Young, CEO of J. Walcher Communications, which specializes in crisis communications. “In today’s society, in which race is ‘othered’ and simplified as ‘persons of color bad’ and ‘white people good,’ Moore may have blown his one chance.”

Why don’t Black coaches get second chances?

Several factors help explain it, including that people hiring head coaches are often white and tend to hire those like themselves. Of the 131 athletic directors who oversaw FBS football programs in 2022, 100 were white, according to the most recent leadership report card from the University of Central Florida.

Another reason relates to Hill’s comment about how minorities are unfairly “grouped” together despite their individual differences. For example, after Charlie Strong was fired as head coach at Texas in 2016, he seemed to recognize this effect in comments he made to Fox Sports. He later was hired as head coach at South Florida, outside the power conferences. But he worried his failure at Texas would be symbolic.

‘When you’re the first minority coach at a major university like that, you feel like there’s so many people counting on you,’ Strong said then. ‘I got upset at myself for not being successful, and I got upset at myself because you feel like you let a lot of people down. There are only so many African-American coaches, so when you get on a stage like that. …’

Likewise, former NFL safety Ryan Clark said the same applies to the effect of the Moore firing at Michigan.

“He not only failed himself, but a community of coaches,” Clark said on Instagram. “Had he succeeded the next ‘Sherrone Moore’ would have a favorable comp during his interview process. If you’re Michigan’s AD would you be comfortable hiring someone who reminded you of your dismissed former coach?”

Few schools ever have hired more than two Black coaches

The “grouping” of minority coaches after they have failed also is supported by the evidence only four major college teams have hired at least three Black coaches in their history: Colorado, Stanford, Kent State and Bowling Green.

After Hill was forced out at San Jose State in 2004, he said he told a school administrator he hoped his lack of success didn’t keep the school from considering a person of color as his replacement.

“Do you really think there’s somebody out there we should consider?” the administrator asked, according to Hill.

 “By your statement, I realize you do not understand the challenges,” Hill said he replied.

San Jose State never hired a non-interim Black head coach after that. Its current coach, Ken Niumatalolo, is Samoan.

Deion Sanders made a similar point

Colorado is the only FBS school to have hired four non-interim Black head coaches, two of whom were fired.  

Current Colorado coach Deion Sanders addressed this same issue when he was hired by Colorado athletic director Rick George in December 2022. Sanders, who is Black, replaced Karl Dorrell, who is Black and was fired after an 0-5 start in 2022. Dorrell had replaced Mel Tucker, who is Black and left Colorado after one season in 2019 to become head coach at Michigan State.

“Rick, thank you once again, because there are several African-American head coaches around the country that were terminated, and they were not replaced by an African-American coach,” Sanders said then. “But you had the audacity to do such a thing, not only to do such a thing on this time but several times you’ve done such a thing. So I thank you for your nerve. I thank you for your courage. I thank you for seeing past the color and the ethnicity.”

The Mel Tucker and Sherrone Moore ‘grouping’

Another undercurrent to the firing of Moore was that Michigan State fired Tucker in 2023 after rape survivor Brenda Tracy said Tucker made sexual comments about her and masturbated during a phone call in 2022.

The similarities of their scandals and their firings from two rival Big Ten schools have led to racist jokes on social media and similar grouping of the two.

“The fact that we are so quick to place (Tucker and Moore) in the same pot shows how stereotypes operate about Black men and sexual promiscuity,” said Lou Moore, a sports history professor at Michigan State who is not related to Sherrone Moore.

Both Tucker and Sherrone Moore instead had separate scandals at separate jobs, the same way other white coaches have but weren’t grouped for it negatively based on race.

“I think the way we have to look at it is that, as bad as it is, it certainly does not paint a picture of anybody else in college sports,” Lapchick said of the Sherrone Moore scandal.

So what’s the answer?

After 110 years of college football starting in 1869, the first Black head coach at the major-college level didn’t come until 1979 — Willie Jeffries at Wichita State.

Since then, USA TODAY Sports counted only 70 total non-interim Black head coaches in major college football history.  In 2005, there were only three. Today there are 14.

So what’s the fairest way forward in the meantime? Casting a wider net for candidates always helps. Hill said it’s about Black coaches getting better “access” to these jobs. Unfortunately, unfair perceptions often override reality.

He authored a 2012 book about the subject titled “Crackback! How College Football Blindsides the Hopes of Black Coaches.”

“Perception always impacts the access in the hiring process,” Hill said. He said this in turn has led to unrealized potential among Black coaches who weren’t given first or second chances. Many schools, such as Alabama, never have hired a non-interim Black head coach.

“What would have happened if Nick Saban (the former Alabama coach) would have been born Black?” Hill asked. “He would have been a great coach that never would have been realized at Alabama.”

Another consideration would help Black coaches, too, as evidenced by the successful rehabilitation of white coaches like Lane Kiffin.

Sometimes failures make a coach better, not worse.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

AI-assisted summary
• Amber Glenn set a record-breaking score of 83.05 in the short program, placing her in first.
• Alysa Liu sits in second place after her own flawless short program earned a score of 81.11.
• Defending champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov lead the pairs competition after the short program.
• The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is the final event before the 2026 Winter Olympics team is announced on Sunday, Jan. 11.

ST. LOUIS — A fist pump was all you needed to know about how Amber Glenn’s short program went Wednesday at the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships.

Her performance to “Like a Prayer” by Madonna was a powerful skate that didn’t have a single miss, a truly sensational outing. Her program boasts has one of the hardest degrees of difficulty, and she knew she nailed it when she finished, punctuating it with that emotional fist pump.

The result? A stunning — and record-breaking — score of 83.05, putting her in first ahead of Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito. She was still emotional even after hearing the result.

‘I was so ecstatic, and for some reason I just felt my grandma with me today and that meant a lot and I think she really got me through this,’ Glenn said after, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It was a whole new experience for me today.’

Get our Chasing Gold Olympics newsletter in your inbox for coverage of your favorite Team USA athletes

Glenn said of all the moments in her long, winding career that this one is at the top.

‘I’m so grateful and happy to share it with these ladies,’ Glenn said of Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito, who are in second and third, respectively. ‘And I hope we can continue that for the next, like, month and a half.’

For her part, Liu continued her spectacular season, putting up a score of 81.11, which was also a record until Glenn broke it two skaters later. Liu delivered a flawless “Promise” short program, arguably her best one of the season. She was all smiles getting off the ice, her chill vibe the talk of the broadcast.

‘Well, listen, I have a ton of friends here watching and I’m competing with and we all did really good today, so what’s there to be mad about?’ she said after. ‘And I really liked from my performance specifcally, I liked my Biellmann a lot, I liked by Lutz loop.’

Earlier Wednesday, defending national champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov put up the performance of the night for pairs short program, scoring a 75.31. However, their Olympic fate is in limbo.

The championships continue Thursday with the rhythm dance and the men’s short program, when “Quad God” himself Ilia Malinin will take the ice. This is the final event for American skaters before the 2026 Winter Olympics start in February, the last chance to show why skaters belong in Milano Cortina. U.S. Figure Skating will announce the Olympic team on Sunday, Jan. 11.

US figure skating championships results

Alysa Liu, reigning world champion, put up a monster 81.11 only for defending U.S. champion Amber Glenn to blow past it with an 83.05. Here are standings.

1. Amber Glenn: 83.05 total segment score, 46.14 technical element score, 36.91 program component score.
2. Alysa Liu: 81.11 total segment score, 43.68 technical element score, 37.43 program component score.
3. Isabeau Levito: 75.72 total segment score, 40.10 technical element score, 35.62 program component score.
4. Sarah Everhardt: 71.10 total segment score, 38.90 technical element score, 32.20 program component score.
5. Bradie Tennell: 69.53 total segment score, 36.27 technical element score, 33.26 program component score.
6. Starr Andrew: 65.77 total segment score, 34.09 technical element score, 31.68 program component score.
7. Elyce Lin-Gracey: 65.24 total segment score, 34.52 technical element score, 30.72 program component score.
8. Josephine Lee: 62.79 total segment score, 32.96 technical element score, 29.83 program component score.
9. Sherry Zhang: 60.99 total segment score, 31.11 technical element score, 29.88 program component score.
10. Sophie Joline von Felten: 60.68 total segment score, 34.36 technical element score, 27.32 program component score.
11. Alina Bonillo: 58.94 total segment score, 32.10 technical element score, 27.84 program component score.
12. Logan Higase-Chen: 55.22 total segment score, 29.51 technical element score, 26.71 program component score. She had a one-point deduction for a fall.
13. Sonja Hilmer: 55.00 total segment score, 26.82 technical element score, 28.18 program component score. The crowd actually groaned when her score was announced.
14. Emilia Nemirovsky: 53.28 total segment score, 26.16 technical element score, 27.12 program component score.
15. Anabel Wallace: 52.74 total segment score, 28.84 technical element score, 23.90 program component score. The 17-year-old is competing at her first national championships.
16. Brook Gewalt: 50.59 total segment score, 25.68 technical element score, 24.91 program component score.
17. Katie Shen: 49.50 total segment score, 24.15 technical element score, 25.35 program component score.
18. Erica Machida: 49.41 total segment score, 25.32 technical element score, 24.09 program component score.

Amber Glenn puts up record-breaking score

The two-time defending U.S. champion Amber Glenn put on a beautiful short program to ‘Like a Prayer’ by Madonna, the crowd clapping along as the song and program reached a crescendo. Glenn gave a massive fist bump when she finished, began to cry and put her face in her hands, overcome with emotion. She earned an 83.05, good for first place in the standings after the short program.

‘I think that’s the most intense I’ve reacted to any skate ever I’m usually but there was just a feeling today that was so different,’ she said.

Alysa Liu turns in flawless short program

The spectacular season for reigning world champion Alysa Liu continues. She delivered a flawless “Promise” short program, arguably her best one of the season. She was all smiles getting off the ice, and for good reason, scoring a season-best 81.11.

‘The fact that all of us are that good is just, I guess really good for the crowd, like the more people are coming in to watch us, and that fuels like our performances,’ Liu said.

Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu on their friendship

USA TODAY Sports’ Jordan Mendoza spoke to Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu on the tight friendship they have formed. Here’s what they said.

What Liu said about Glenn: “She’s just such a big sister to me. The idea that we compete against each other, it’s so weird to me. I really just see her as one of my friends and truly one of my teammates. I don’t know, doing things with her is really fun.”

When Glenn said about Liu: “It’s been great to have someone that has such a positive outlook on skating and on her career around me. And then on the flip side, I have an extra pair of tights if she rips them and doesn’t have a backup, or I have the schedule ready because she doesn’t have it.”

Sarah Everhardt turns in season-best short program

Two skaters into the final group and there was a new person in first in Sarah Everhardt. She felt like the crowd helped her remember to smile more, and as a result, that helped lead to a season-best score of 71.10. Elyce Lin-Gracey started the group and although she got a 65.24, it will likely keep her out of the top five by the end of the night

Starr Andrews’ routine a crowd favorite

Through two groups and 12 skaters, Starr Andrew ran the women’s short program to sit in first place. Her Beyoncé routine has always been a crowd pleaser, and it was no different this time around, executing another solid performance.

She earned a 65.77, just ahead of Josephine Lee, who had her own good showing. Lee stumbled with her short program at Skate America in November, but she didn’t have any issues with her Shakira-inspired Tango, getting a season-best score of 62.79. Sherry Zhang’s season-best of 60.99 has her in third.

Sonja Hilmer tap dances on ice

One of the coolest performances so far came from Sonja Hilmer, who incorporated tap dancing into her program. Not only was it unique, but she also executed it perfectly with the music and drew a loud applause from the audience.

“This is a concept I’ve been playing with here and there,” Hilmer said afterward.

The crowd actually groaned when Hilmer’s 55.00 score was announced.

Logan Higase-Chen tops Group 1 in short program

A junior champion is on the top step of the senior championship through Group 1 of the women’s short program. Logan Higase-Chen earned a score of 55.22 to put her in first, nearly two points ahead of Emilia Nemirovsky.

The first group featured a few senior championship debuts, including Higase-Chen, the 2024 U.S. junior champion, and Anabel Wallace, who scored a 52.74 in her short programt.

Erica Machida gains buzz with Chappell Roan program

Erica Machida knew just the music to use in the home state of the “Midwest Princess.” In their national debut, Erica performed their short program to Chappell Roan’s “Kaleidoscope” and “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” that got the crowd amped for their performance. 

They earned a score of 49.41, putting them in sixth place after the first group completed their programs

Alisa Efimova, Misha Mitrofanov sit in first after pairs short program

The defending champions are well-positioned to defend their crown with Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov comfortably in first place after the short program. Their score of 75.31 is more than seven points ahead of Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy in second place.

It was a justified score as Efimova and Mitrofanov looked miles ahead of the rest of the field, and some other contenders like Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, as well as Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe, had some big slips.

Efimova and Mitrofanov are a married couple and their story is an intriguing one as Efimova is not an American citizen. From Finland, Efimova is awaiting a ruling on her American citizenship after obtaining her green card approval in July 2024. If she doesn’t obtain it, the pair will not be eligible for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Pairs figure skating standings

Here are the pairs standings after Wednesday’s short program. The winners will be decided after Friday’s free skate, which starts at 3 p.m.

1. Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov: 75.31 total segment score, 41.58 technical score, 33.73 program components score. The defending champions put on the most impressive performance of the night.
2. Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy: 67.67 total segment score, 36.99 technical score and 30.68 program component score. The pair skated with confidence, and Shin put her face in her hands in disbelief after putting together the strong showing.
3. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea: 67.13 total segment score, 36.12 technical score, 32.01 program components score. They had one point deducted.
4. Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez: 67.03 total segment score, 37.91 technical score, 29.12 program components score.
5. Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman: 66.81 total segment score, 36.78 technical score, 30.03 program components score.
6. Olivia Flores and Luke Wang: 63.58 total segment score, 35.57 technical score and 28.01 program components score. This marked the pair’s senior national team debut. Wang pumped both his fists and Flores flashed a huge smile when they finished their program.
7. Chelsea Liu and Ryan Bedard: 62.34 total segment score, 35.27 technical score and 27.07 program components score. Liu came off the ice coughing, battling through illness this week to be able to compete. The pair just came together in July 2025 and have put on some solid showings early on.
8. Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe: 59.29 total segment score, 32.83 technical score, 29.46 program components score. Chan had three mishaps in succession, each worse than the one before. She had a wonky landing on a attempted triple toe, unable to complete a full final rotation. She fell on a transition and fell on an attempted throw.
9. Naomi Williams and Lachlan Lewer: 55.09 total segment score, 30.97 technical score and 25.12 program components score. They had a one-point deduction for a fall. The pair, in their third season together, did a chest bump and laughed before starting their program.
10. Linzy Fitzpatrick and Keyton Bearinger: 54.56 total segment score, 30.41 technical score and 24.15 program components score. The pair had to wait seemingly longer than usual — 8 minutes — for their scores to be announced.

Judges for women’s short program

• Judge No. 1: Mr. Richard Perez
• Judge No. 2: Ms. Jennifer Thompson
• Judge No. 3: Mr. Jeffrey Charbonneau
• Judge No. 4: Ms. Stefanie Mathewson
• Judge No. 5: Ms. Deborah Currie
• Judge No. 6: Ms. Karen Perreault
• Judge No. 7: Ms. Joy Jin
• Judge No. 8: Ms. Dawn Eyerly
• Judge No. 9: Ms. Katherine Specht

Here is the technical panel.

• Referee: Ms. Peggy Graham
• Technical Controller: Mr. Robert Rosenbluth
• Technical Specialist: Ms. Julie Newman
• Technical Specialist: Ms. Cynthia Stevenson

Skaters from 2025 plane crash honored

Before the event began, U.S. Figure Skating honored the 28 athletes, coaches and parents that were killed in the January 2025 plane crash. On Jan. 29, 2025 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, an Army helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, resulting in 67 deaths.

The skaters, coaches and parents were returning from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, which was held in conjunction with the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

A moment of silence was held and the skaters were shown on the jumbotron inside the arena.

When does Ilia Malinin compete?

The ‘Quad God’ himself takes the first on Thursday night for his short program.

Pairs short program judges

Here were the nine judges for pairs short program.

• Judge No. 1: Mr. Hal Marron
• Judge No. 2: Ms. Stefanie Mathewson
• Judge No. 3: Ms. Sheren Chiang
• Judge No. 4: Ms. Dawn Eyerly
• Judge No. 5: Ms. Lorrie Parker
• Judge No. 6: Ms. Gale Tanger
• Judge No. 7: Ms. Katherine Specht
• Judge No. 8: Ms. Danielle Hartsell Minnis
• Judge No. 9: Ms. Karen Perreault

Here is the technical panel.

• Referee: Mr. Aristeo Brito
• Technical Controller: Ms. Deveny Deck
• Technical Specialist: Mr. Steven Hsu
• Technical Specialist: Ms. Dana Graham

Types of figure skating jumps

• Toe jump: A skater drives the toe pick of their non-takeoff foot into the ice to launch themselves into the air and generate momentum into the jump.
  • Toe loop: A skater takes off backward and lands on the same back edge of their blade.
  • Lutz: A skater moving backward jumps off the back outside edge of their skate and uses the toe-pick of their other skate to catapult into the air in the opposite direction and lands on the back outside edge of the picking leg.
  • Flip: A skater launches off the back inside edge of one skate and lands on the back outside edge of the other skate.
• Edge jump: A skater takes off not with their toe pick but off the edge of their skate.
  • Salchow: A skater launches off the back inside edge of one skate and lands on the back outside edge of their other skate.
  • Axel: The only forward-facing jump, a skater lands on the back outside edge of their non-takeoff foot while traveling backward. The axel is the hardest jump because of the extra half-revolution that comes with a forward takeoff and a backward landing.
  • Loop: The skater jumps off a back outside edge of their skate and lands on the same edge.

When is US Olympic figure skating team named?

The team will be named on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. Three men and three women singles skaters will be chosen, as will three ice dance teams and two pairs, 16 athletes in all. The USFS selection process includes past performances, focusing on the athlete’s body of work over the past two seasons.

Ice dancing vs. figure skating

Ice dancing does not feature jumps or lifts, like you see figure skating pairs execute. Ice dancing is made up of two segments, the rhythm dance and the free dance.

Why US has never won Olympic gold in pairs figure skating

As you watch the pairs short program today at the U.S. national championships and perhaps wonder how the United States has performed in pairs skating over the years at the Olympic Games, here’s a primer, which is short and not-so-sweet. 

Americans have never won an Olympic gold medal in pairs skating. That is not a typo. It has never happened, and Olympic pairs competition goes back to 1908.

The last time a U.S. pair earned an Olympic medal was 1988. That was Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard, who won the bronze medal at the Calgary Olympic Games. Four years earlier, the Carruthers siblings — Kitty and Peter — won silver at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics. Four other U.S. pairs going back even further in the history books won either silver or bronze from 1932-1964. That’s it: 26 Winter Olympic pairs competitions, six U.S. medals, none of them gold.

The population of the United States is around 340 million. It is one of the great sports mysteries of our time that a nation this big could not find one young woman and one young man talented enough to skate together as a pair to become Olympic champions. But so far, no — and it’s not going to happen this year either as U.S. pairs, try as they might, are not expected to come close to a medal in Milan. 

Why has this happened over and over again? One strong possibility is that the focus and fame in U.S. figure skating traditionally has come in the singles events, from Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill to Scott Hamilton and Brian Boitano. (Although the U.S. definitely has upped its game in ice dance over the past 20 years.) 

Throughout its history, the United States has been known as a nation of individualists. That clearly is true on the ice as well. 

The Trae Young era in Atlanta is over.

The Atlanta Hawks are trading Young to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.

A breakup between the Hawks and their longtime face of the franchise had been inevitable for some time, and an ESPN report earlier Wednesday indicated that Washington was Young’s preferred trade destination.

The 27-year-old, four-time All-Star gets his wish and a fresh start in the nation’s capital.

Trae Young trade details

This is a rare player for players deal, with no draft picks involved.

Young, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft who’s spent his whole career in Atlanta, is going to Washington. The Hawks get back 13-year veteran CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Trae Young contract

Young’s cap hit is nearly $46 million this season and he has a player option for 2026-27, which means he could become a free agent this summer. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Wizards ‘are not expected to have immediate extension talks with Young.’

McCollum’s cap hit is close to $31 million and he will be a free agent after the season. Kispert is under contract through 2029 (when including a club option) and he sports a modest cap hit south of $14 million.

Trae Young stats

In 10 games this season, Young has averaged 19.3 points and 8.9 assists.

McCollum, 34, has averaged 18.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 35 games. Kispert, 26, has averaged 9.2 points in 19 games.

This story has been updated with new information.