MILAN — Alysa Liu took her place on the top step of the Olympic podium and threw both hands in the air.

The U.S. figure skater who won her first national title at 13 years old, walked away from the sport at 16, came back at 18, became world champion at 19 was now an Olympic gold medalist at 20, the first American woman to capture individual gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

‘I literally can’t process this,’ she said shortly after winning.

Liu, who remains unapologetically herself, took a victory lap around around the Milano Ice Skating Arena, gold medal around her neck and an American flag draped over her shoulders.

She posed for photos, she bit her gold medal, she showed off her smiley frenulum piercing. She had just brought down the house with her electric free skate, the crowd leaping to its feet and the performance rocketing her into first from third place after her beautiful short program two days prior. She skated with pure joy, a wide smile on her face her whole program.

‘The feelings I felt out there were calm, happy, and confident,’ she said after.

When she came off the ice, she looked at the broadcast camera and said, ‘That’s what I’m (expletive) talking about!’

Liu’s teammate Amber Glenn turned in a fantastic free skate of her own to finish in fifth after sitting in 13th following her painful short program, showing herself and everyone what she’s made of. ‘She killed it,’ Liu said of Glenn.

USA TODAY Sports is at Milano Ice Skating Arena to bring you all the live updates, reactions and highlights.

Alysa Liu’s free skate

Alysa Liu absolutely rocked it with her long program performance, scoring a season-best 150.20 to total 226.79 points.

Amber Glenn free skate

Two days after a painful short program, Amber Glenn took the ice again here at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

Glenn, the 26-year-old American at her first Games, said entering the night she wanted to recapture the joy of skating, to truly enjoy and soak up the experience here, something that has been a lifelong dream.

“No matter how the elements go today, I want to remember that I never even thought that I’d get here so that, in itself, is an accomplishment, and doing it as my authentic self and standing for what I believe in,’ Glenn, who was in 13th place after the short program, told NBC before her performance.

She did that in her free skate. She opened with a spectacular with a triple Axel that reached incredible height and was simply a show of industrial strengh. The execution earned her 10.40 points, 0.34 higher than her short program triple Axel. When she finished, she gave her signature fist pump, the crowd showering stuffies onto the ice and cheers onto her. She scored a 147.52 to finish with a total of 214.91.

In the Kiss-and-Cry section while awaiting her scores, she could be heard saying: ‘I’m at the Olympics. I didn’t fall. I didn’t fall at the Olympics.’

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.’

Women’s figure skating finals Olympics live results

Here are the standings for the women’s figure skating competition at the 2026 Winter Games.

1. Alysa Liu (USA): 226.79 total score, 150.20 free skate score, 76.59 short program score.
2. Kaori Sakamoto (Japan): 224.90 total score, 147.67 free skate score, 77.23 short program score.
3. Ami Nakai (Japan): 219.16 total score, 140.45 free skate score, 78.71 short program score.
4. Mone Chiba (Japan): 217.88 total score, 143.88 free skate score, 74.00 short program score.
5. Amber Glenn (USA): 214.91 total score, 147.52 free skate score, 67.39 short program score.
6. Adeliia Petrosian (Neutral Athlete): 214.53 total score, 141.64 free skate score, 72.89 short program score.
7. Niina Petrokina (Estonia): 210.82 total score, 141.19 free skate score, 69.63 short program score.
8. Haein Lee (Korea): 210.56 total score, 140.49 free skate score, 70.07 short program score.
9. Anastasiia Gubanova (Georgia): 209.99 total score, 138.22 free skate score, 71.77 short program score.
10. Sofia Samodelkina (Kazakhstan): 207.46 total score, 138.99 free skate score, 68.47 short program score.
11. Jia Shin (Korea): 206.68 total score, 141.02 free skate score, 65.66 short program score.
12. Isabeau Levito (USA): 202.80 total score, 131.96 free skate score, 70.84 short program score.
13. Lara Naki Gutmann (Italy): 195.75 total score, 134.19 free skate score, 61.56 short program score.
14. Loena Hendrickx (Belgium): 199.65 total score, 128.72 free skate score, 70.93 short program score.
15. Nina Pinzarrone (Belgium): 200.30 total score, 131.33 free skate score, 68.97 short program score.
16. Iida Karhunen (Finland): 192.79 total score, 127.73 free skate score, 65.06 short program score.
17. Julia Sauter (Romania): 190.93 total score, 127.80 free skate score, 63.13 short program score.
18. Olga Mikutina (Austria): 185.59 total score, 123.87 free skate score, 61.72 short program score.
19. Ruiyang Zhang (China): 178.03 total score, 118.65 free skate score, 59.38, short program score.
20. Ekaterina Kurakova (Poland): 173.37 total score, 113.23 free skate score, 60.14 short program score.
21. Livia Kaiser (Switzerland): 171.52 total score, 115.83 free skate score, 55.69 short program score.
22. Lorine Schild (France): 167.08 total score, 111.45 free skate score, 55.63 short program score.
23. Kimmy Repond (Switzerland): 159.54 total score, 100.34 free skate score, 59.20 short program score.
24. Mariia Seniuk (Israel): 152.61 total score, 94.00 free skate score, 58.61 short program score.

Women’s figure skating Olympics winners list

Here is who has medaled in women’s singles figure skating over the last four decades.

• 2026: Alysa Liu (USA), Kaori Sakamoto (Japan), Ami Nakai (Japan)
• 2022: ROC’s Anna Shcherbakova (gold), ROC’s Aleksandra Trusova (silver), Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (bronze)
• 2018: ROC’s Alina Zagitova (gold), ROC’s Yevgeniya Medvedeva (silver), Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond (bronze)
• 2014: Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova (gold), Korea’s Yu-Na Kim (silver), Italy’s Carolina Kostner (bronze)
• 2010: Korea’s Yu-Na Kim (gold), Japan’s Mao Asada (silver), Canada’s Joannie Rochette (bronze)
• 2006: Japan’s Shizuka Arakawa (gold), USA’s Sasha Cohen (silver), Russia’s Irina Slutskaya (bronze)
• 2002: USA’s Sarah Hughes (gold), Russia’s Irina Slutskaya (silver), USA’s Michelle Kwan (bronze)
• 1998: USA’s Tara Lipinski (gold), USA’s Michelle Kwan (silver), China’s Chen Lu (bronze)
• 1994: Ukraine’s Oksana Baiul (gold), USA’s Nancy Kerrigan (silver), China’s Chen Lu (bronze)
• 1992: USA’s Kristi Yamaguchi (gold), Japan’s Midori Ito (silver), USA’s Nancy Kerrigan (bronze)
• 1988: East Germany’s Katarina Witt (gold), Canada’s Elizabeth Manley (silver), USA’s Debi Thomas (bronze)
• 1984: East Germany’s Katarina Witt (gold), USA’s Rosalynn Sumners (silver), USSR’s Kira Ivanova (bronze)

How is figure skating scored?

A figure skating routine is made up of two scores: Technical elements score and program components score. The technical elements score is exactly what it sounds like: It’s for the jumps, spins and step sequences in a performance. The program components score is made of up composition, presentation and skating skills.

Figure skating jump types

• 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.

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker left Thursday night’s 121-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter with right hip soreness and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Suns head coach Jordan Ott told reporters that Booker ‘wasn’t moving great’ and the decision to sit him was made to ‘save himself from himself,’ per the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin.

Booker initially subbed out and went into the locker room with 5:24 left in the first quarter. He checked back in with 4:46 left in the second but then exited again two minutes later and returned to the locker room. His final stat-line for the night was five points and a rebound, shooting two-for-six from the floor in just nine minutes played.

An All-Star for the fifth time this season, Booker has caught the injury bug recently. He missed seven straight games with a sprained ankle that he originally suffered on Jan. 23 against the Atlanta Hawks. He returned to the Suns lineup on Feb. 7 and played in their next game on Feb. 11 before sitting out the team’s final game before the All-Star break against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

At All-Star Weekend, Booker participated in the three-point contest and was part of the USA Stars team, winning the first edition of the new USA vs. the World format All-Star Game.

The Suns are currently the seventh seed in the West, two games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth.

As gold as it gets! Captain America! Keller Instinct! Woe, Canada!

How will you remember Team USA’s thrilling victory over Canada that earned the gold medal in the women’s Olympic hockey tournament?

Whatever your answer, USA TODAY Sports will help fans long relive the country’s golden glory with two commemorative page prints.

Buy Team USA gold medal page print!Buy Hilary Knight record page print!

Before you see the details, decide how you will remember the 2-1 overtime victory on Feb. 19 at the 2006 Milano Cortina Games.

Will it be Hilary Knight’s nifty deflection for a 1-1 tie with 2:04 left in the third period? It made her the all-time U.S. leader in goals (15) and points (33).

Will it be Megan Keller’s slick moves that won it after four minutes, seven seconds of overtime? It gave the United States its second gold medal in the last eight years.

Will be the wild, joyous on-ice celebration by players draped in flags with  precious metal dangling from their necks? U.S. women won gold for the third time (1998, 2018, 2026), topping the U.S. men (1960, 1980).

The first full-page commemorative print features Team USA celebrating on the ice after Keller’s golden goal. It has U-S-SLAY! as its big headline.

The second full-page commemorative print celebrates Knight’s fifth and (she says) final Olympics. It has CAPTAIN AMERICA as its big headline.

Page prints come on high-quality art paper, in a variety of sizes and start at $29 (plus shipping and handling) through the USA TODAY Store. For more details, go to usatodaystore.com and search “Olympic.”

These page prints also will make great gifts for the hockey fans in your life. Maybe they will inspire someone the same way years ago Knight, now 36, inspired teammate Laila Edwards, barely 22. Edwards, the first Black Olympian for Team USA, assisted on Knight’s game-tying goal.

And because Moms, Dads and Grads season will be upon us soon, why not check something off the to-do list early, eh?

Buy Team USA gold medal page print! Buy Hilary Knight record page print!

Contact Gene Myers at gmyers@usatodayco.com. Check out books and page prints from theUSA TODAY Network — including books onthe Florida Panthers’ latest Stanley Cup, the Indiana Hoosiers’ football championship and tributes to Dale Earnhardt, Lee Corso and Bob Uecker. Also available are Coach Steve’s youth sports survival guide and a book marking 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry.

Cade Cunningham had said he likes playing in Madison Square Garden. He wasn’t lying.

Cunningham, the All-Star Detroit Pistons guard who is inserting himself into the conversation for NBA Most Valuable Player, was stellar in a 42-point, 13-assist, 8-rebound Pistons victory Thursday, Feb. 19. And with that 126-111 win, Detroit has won all three of its matchups against the Knicks this season, giving the Pistons a massive edge in potential seeding, should the Eastern Conference tighten up.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 33 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds, but New York struggled with its perimeter shots all night long.

Scroll below for a recap and highlights from Detroit’s impressive win over the Knicks Thursday night:

Pistons vs. Knicks highlights

End Q4: Pistons 126, Knicks 111

It was too much Cade Cunningham, too big a deficit on the glass and too few 3-pointers for the New York Knicks.

And with that, the Knicks have been swept in three regular season games by the No. 1-seeded Pistons (41-13), establishing a clear pattern of dominance over New York (35-21).

Cunningham played masterfully, dropping 42 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds in a complete performance that should elevate his Most Valuable Player candidacy. Cunningham was deliberate and decisive in his movements, as Cunningham went 17-of-34 from the floor, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range.

The Knicks lost the rebounding battle 53-48 and shot just 8-of-35 from beyond the arc.

Jalen Brunson led New York with 33 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.

Pistons open biggest lead of game

The Knicks will lose this game if they don’t turn things around — and quickly. Detroit has opened up a 16-point lead, its biggest of the game, early in the fourth, leading to a Mike Brown timeout.

The Pistons have launched a 7-2 run to open the period.

End Q3: Pistons 90, Knicks 79

Cade Cunningham is on an absolute heater.

Cunningham, the Pistons’ All-Star guard and MVP candidate, has 35 points and 9 assists through three quarters, as he’s carrying Detroit to another solid game against the Knicks.

Cunningham has played excellently in his career against the Knicks and in Madison Square Garden and Thursday night has been no different. Cunningham, who dropped 11 points in the third, is in complete control, getting to his spots and not forcing anything. And, when New York sends extra pressure toward him, Cunningham is finding open teammates.

The Knicks, meanwhile, cooled off after a hot start to the period. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 12 points in the period, but New York has not been able to catch fire from deep. The Knicks are 4-of-25 (16%) from 3-point range.

Knicks cut it to 4 behind KAT attack

Clearly, New York adjusted at the half to get the ball in the hands of Karl-Anthony Towns, who has 8 points through the first two-and-a-half minutes of the third quarter. More importantly for the Knicks, they’ve shaved 6 points off the deficit and trail 62-58.

End Q2: Pistons 58, Knicks 48

The Pistons may be missing their top two centers, All-Star Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart (both to suspension), but they’re taking it to the Knicks.

Detroit closed the second quarter on a 7-0 run to open a 10-point lead in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks committed far too many turnovers and continued to struggle with their perimeter shooting in the second; New York has now missed 16 consecutive 3 pointers after it made its first of the game and is shooting just 6.3% from beyond the arc.

Cade Cunningham is continuing to control the offense for Detroit. He’s pushing the ball out in transition, finding his spots and dishing passes to his teammates to the tune of 24 points and 4 assists on 9-of-19 shooting.

New York, meanwhile, will need to scheme ways for Karl-Anthony Towns to become more active and engaged on offense. Towns is just 1-of-3 for 2 points with 5 rebounds. Towns is having a tough time finding his spots and at times has appeared disengaged.

Knicks 3-point shooting woes continue

New York made its first 3 pointer of the game, just seconds into the night. Since then, the Knicks have missed 14 consecutive 3s to shoot just 7.1% from beyond the arc, midway through the second quarter.

Karl-Anthony Towns with a quiet quarter

The Knicks big man has faced criticism over the past several weeks for a lack of intensity and intentional play. Towns had just 1 shot attempt in the first quarter, though he did look to distribute with two assists.

Still, for the Knicks to be elite, they will need more offensive production out of Towns.

End Q1: Pistons 28, Knicks 26

The Pistons battled back.

Detroit clamped up its defense and pestered New York into contested shots, which led to chances for Cade Cunningham to operate the offense in open space. Cunningham was the catalyst for Detroit, dropping a game-high 14 points in the first quarter on 5-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

That was the difference in the first quarter, as Detroit was able to hit its open 3s, while the Knicks struggled to find bottom on theirs; the Pistons converted 3 pointers at 40%, while New York went just 1-of-8 (12.5%) in the period.

Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with 9 points.

Late in the first, new acquisition Jeremy Sochan made his Knicks debut, after the team signed him following his buyout with the Spurs.

Knicks vs. Pistons is underway

Jalen Brunson laced his first shot post-All-Star break, a stepback 3, and the Pistons missed their first four shots of the game as we’re underway in the Garden.

Detroit has started just 1-of-8 from the field, as New York has opened an early 9-2 lead just minutes into the game.

Knicks vs. Pistons starting lineups

Detroit Pistons

• Cade Cunningham
• Duncan Robinson
• Ausar Thompson
• Tobias Harris
• Paul Reed

New York Knicks

• Jalen Brunson
• OG Anunoby
• Mikal Bridges
• Josh Hart
• Karl-Anthony Towns

Knicks vs. Pistons injury report

(Updated 5:00 p.m. ET)

Knicks: OG Anunoby (right toenail avulsion; probable), Miles McBride (pelvic, core muscle surgery; out), Pacome Dadiet (G League assignment; questionable), Trey Jemison III (G League – two-way; questionable), Dillon Jones (G League – two-way; questionable), Kevin McCullar Jr. (G League – two-way; questionable)

Pistons: Jalen Duren (league suspension; out), Isaiah Stewart (league suspension; out), Bobi Klintman (G League assignment; out), Wendell Moore Jr. (G League – two-way; out)

How to watch Pistons vs. Knicks: TV channel, live stream

• Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
• TV Channel: MSG Networks
• Live stream: Amazon Prime

Pistons vs. Knicks odds

• Spread: Knicks by 4.5 (-110)
• Over/Under: 222.5 (O/U -110)
• Moneyline: Knicks -185

Knicks next five games

• Feb. 21 vs. Houston Rockets
• Feb. 22 at Chicago Bulls
• Feb. 24 at Cleveland Cavaliers
• Feb. 27 at Milwaukee Bucks
• March 1 vs. San Antonio Spurs

Pistons next five games

• Feb. 21 at Chicago Bulls
• Feb. 23 vs. San Antonio Spurs
• Feb. 25 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
• Feb. 27 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
• March 1 at Orlando Magic

Before the United States won Olympic gold on Thursday, a 12U playoff game in Minnesota needed three days, 12 overtime periods and a shootout to decide a winner.

The Cottage Grove Wolfpack managed to get the best of the St. Paul Saints during the shootout to advance in the playoffs.

“It was pretty intense,” Cottage Grove coach Brian Deering told USA Today. “It went on for three days, and the kids showed up ready to play every time. It was pretty bizarre with how to plan for it but it was fun to be a part of.”

The game was tied at 1 following three 15-minute regular periods on Monday, Feb. 16. The two teams played six 10-minute overtime periods the day the game started but it remained tied.

The decision was made for the two teams to return to the ice on Tuesday to finish out the game. 

“I just reminded them that it’s hockey and it’s the same game we’ve played all year,” Deering said. “They were nervous and scared because they didn’t want to let each other down. 

“I just tried to keep it light-hearted as much as possible. We just reminded them to keep it simple and not to do anything too big.”

St. Paul co-head coach John Weiberg told ESPN that after the first three periods played on Tuesday, Feb. 17, the ice needed to be resurfaced with a Zamboni, causing another delay in the action. 

The game reached a 10th overtime, but the game still wasn’t decided.

St. Paul and Cottage Grove were unable to finish the game on Tuesday night because another game was already scheduled and waiting to take place. That forced another pickup on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

With the next round of the playoffs already scheduled to take place on Thursday, a winner had to be decided. Decisions were made and that led to a shakeup in how the game was to be determined.

The 11th overtime took place with the traditional 5-on-5 format but changed to a 3-on-3 format, in a similar fashion to the Olympics’ gold medal game and the NHL regular season, for the 12th period.

It was decided that it was best that the game go to a shootout after the game was still tied after the 12th overtime session.

“I think going through the experience that they did bonded them,” Deering said. “It’s not something you can really coach. They lived through that and experienced that. They started playing for each other.”