Trump will sign an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing
President Donald Trump is signing an executive order designed to prevent people who were biologically assigned male at birth from participating in women's or girls' sporting events. Trump is expected to sign the order at a Wednesday afternoon ceremony, marking another aggressive shift by the Republican president's second administration in the way the federal government deals with transgender people and their rights. Trump put out a sweeping order on his first day in office calling for the federal government to define sex as only male or female and for that to be reflected on official documents such as passports and in policies such as federal prison assignments.
11 NFL teams have never had a Black head coach. Players find that disappointing
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- More than a third of Black NFL players who responded to questions from the AP about the state of Black head coaches around the league were discouraged or disappointed by the current numbers. More than half of the athletes in professional football are Black, but only seven of the 32 coaches that began this season are Black. As the Super Bowl approaches on Sunday, two of those seven have been fired and were replaced by white coaches. The Rooney Rule has been around for more than 20 years, but there still are 11 NFL franchises that have never had a Black head coach.
Super Bowl secondary-ticket prices high but much less than last year's game
Prices on the secondary-ticket market for Sunday's Super Bowl in New Orleans are much less than last year's big game and declining. But they are still high by historical standards. The average price for the Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles game at TickPick was $6,552 as of Tuesday. If that amount holds, it would be that website's third highest for a Super Bowl. Last year's game between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers was the highest with an average price at that site of $9,136.
Bucks are adding Kyle Kuzma and sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards in a trade, AP source says
The Milwaukee Bucks are trading NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards and getting Kyle Kuzma back in the deal, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement. A.J. Johnson goes from the Bucks to the Wizards and Patrick Baldwin goes from the Wizards to the Bucks, along with a future pick swap and some second-round draft capital, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had yet to receive league approval. The move first reported by ESPN, came one day before Thursday's 3 p.m. Eastern trade deadline in the NBA.
Hermoso's teammate and brother say in court the Spain player was pressured to downplay Rubiales kiss
MADRID (AP) -- The brother of Jenni Hermoso and one of her teammates have told a judge there were attempts to pressure the player into downplaying the unsolicited kiss by former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales in the awards presentation ceremony following the 2023 Women's World Cup. Rafael Hermoso said in court that former women's national team coach Jorge Vilda asked him to tell Jenni to record a video together with the former president to show she was OK with the kiss. Former teammate Misa RodrÃguez said Jenni told the other players she was being coerced and that she was "not well" after what happened.
Settlement creates $5 million fund for NWSL players after abuse scandal
The National Women's Soccer League will establish a $5 million fund for players as part of a settlement that stemmed from allegations of emotional and sexual misconduct that rocked the league in 2021. Attorneys general from Washington, D.C., Illinois and New York announced the settlement with the league on Wednesday. The funds will go to players who experienced abuse. The settlement also requires the league to maintain safeguards put into place following a pair of investigations released in late 2022 that found widespread misconduct that impacted multiple teams, coaches and players.
The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics are 1 year away. One venue remains uncertain
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) -- The century-old sliding center being completely rebuilt for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games is pushing the deadline really tight. So tight that the IOC has gone so far as to demand a Plan B option that would require moving bobsled, luge and skeleton events all the way to Lake Placid, New York, if the track in Italy isn't finished in time. Thursday marks exactly one year to go before the opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro stadium and the track in Cortina is still a half-completed construction site. The IOC has set a March deadline for pre-certification of the Cortina track and nobody is saying for sure if it will pass the test.
Figure skating event benefiting victims of DC plane crash to take place in Washington in March
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) -- A figure skating tribute will take place in Washington, D.C., in early March to support victims of the midair collision and crash outside Ronald Reagan International Airport. Organizers on Wednesday announced the "Legacy on Ice" benefit event scheduled for March 2 at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington. Twenty-eight members of the figure skating community were among the 67 people killed when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight and crashed into the Potomac River. Monumental Sports & Entertainment, U.S. Figure Skating, DC Fire & EMS Foundation and the Greater Washington Community Foundation are putting on the tribute.
Lindsey Vonn feeling sick with 'a cold or the flu' on the eve of her opening event at skiing worlds
SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) -- Lindsey Vonn is feeling sick with "a cold or the flu" on the eve of her first event at the world championships in her return to ski racing at the age of 40. The American is scheduled to race in super-G on Thursday. Vonn says in an audio statement sent to The Associated Press that "I definitely have a cold or the flu or something." She adds that "yesterday afternoon I started to really not feel well" and she is "trying to do everything I can to recover." Vonn placed 29th in Wednesday's second downhill training session. Her other two races are the downhill on Saturday and the team combined next week.
Not 1. Not 2. But 3 women's hoop leagues? Athletes Unlimited, Unrivaled are WNBA offseason options
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Alysha Clark wants to end the narrative that Athletes Unlimited and Unrivaled pits women's basketball players against each other or forces them to make an either or decision. She believes the two leagues simply give players more options during the WNBA offseason to play basketball closer to home in order to supplement their WNBA salaries. Clark says the women's pro basketball leagues addresses years of players sacrificing time with family to play overseas. This is Clark's first season with Athletes Unlimited, which is in its fourth year overall. Unrivaled is in its first year. Clark says that league is more geared to superstar players while Athletes Unlimited is an opportunity for players to hone their skills for WNBA rosters.