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February 23, 2026

AP Sports Wire

 

What you need to know

Hello, Postcards readers, and welcome to our free daily Sports Wire newsletter. Each day we share some of the best of AP’s wide-ranging sports coverage, including on the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. If you don't want to receive Sports Wire, all you need to do is scroll to the bottom and click unsubscribe.

United States' Lindsey Vonn is airlifted away after a crash during an alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

Lindsey Vonn says surgery saved her from having her left leg amputated following Olympic crash

American skier Lindsey Vonn says she nearly lost her left leg following a frightening crash in the women’s downhill at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Read More.

Tyler Reddick wins at Atlanta to give Michael Jordan second straight NASCAR Cup victory

For the second consecutive Sunday to open the season, the basketball great and co-owner of 23XI Racing celebrated in victory lane with driver Tyler Reddick. This time, after a thriller at Echo Park Speedway. Read More.

Soccer matches postponed amid violence after army kills Mexican cartel leader 'El Mencho'

Four high-level soccer matches were postponed Sunday after the Mexican army killed the leader of a powerful drug cartel in a town close to the World Cup host city of Guadalajara. Read More.

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Beyond the score

United States' Matthew Tkachuk (19) carries Noa Gaudreau, following a men's ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.

Johnny Gaudreau's children join the US Olympic gold medal celebration

Johnny Gaudreau's No. 13 jersey was hanging in the U.S. locker room throughout the Olympics, and Dylan Larkin and Matthew Tkachuk carried it around the ice after the U.S. beat Canada in overtime to win the country's first gold medal at the Games since 1980. Read More.

Lakers unveil statue of Pat Riley, the coaching mastermind of their 1980s Showtime

The Los Angeles Lakers have unveiled a statue of Pat Riley outside their downtown arena to honor the head coach who masterminded their Showtime championship era. Read More.

After fleeing Ukraine, Mariia Vainshtein is a tennis champ in New York

Mariia Vainshtein is a New York City high school tennis champion who may keep playing when she heads to college in the fall. Read More.

 

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What's next

UCLA center Lauren Betts carries the Big Ten trophy after an NCAA college basketball game against Wisconsin, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Los Angeles.

With Big Ten title clinched and a 21-game winning streak, No. 2 UCLA looks ahead to March

No. 2 UCLA defeated Wisconsin 80-60 on Sunday, wrapping up the program’s first-ever outright league championship with one Big Ten game remaining. Previously, the Bruins shared the Pac-12 title with Oregon in 1998-99. Read More.

NFL receiver Rondale Moore found dead in his Indiana hometown

Rondale Moore, an NFL receiver who had season-ending training camp knee injuries in each of the last two years after a standout college career at Purdue and a promising start with the Arizona Cardinals, was found dead Saturday, authorities said. He was 25. Read More.

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