St. Joseph’s built a 10-point lead with less than six minutes to play in an Atlantic 10 women’s game against La Salle on Wednesday night at John E. Glaser Arena.
Then the Hawks offense went silent and La Salle began to mount a comeback. An and-one layup plus a pair of free throws from Explorers guard Aryss Macktoon made it a four-point game with less than two minutes remaining.
But St. Joe’s (14-6, 5-4 A-10) warded off a La Salle comeback to earn a 69-65 victory. The Hawks outscored the Explorers by 26-3 in bench points and shot 44.8% from the field.
“I think what you saw was a game of runs,” St. Joe’s coach Cindy Griffin said. “There was a lot of great offense out there. Not a whole lot of defense at times. But I was really pleased with how we came out in the second half, especially in the third quarter. We got a little space and we were able to make plays down the stretch.”
Statistical leaders
St. Joe’s had a balanced scoring effort with seven players scoring at least seven points. Guard Gabby Casey led the way with 14 points, with 10 coming in the second half. Emily Knouse added 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting in three-pointers. Forward Cecilia Kay had a team-high seven rebounds.
La Salle guard Joan Quinn finished with a game-high 18 points against St. Joe’s on Wednesday.
Guard Joan Quinn made 4 of 7 three-pointers and scored a game-high 18 points for La Salle (11-10, 4-6). Forward Kiara Williams contributed 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting and six rebounds. Macktoon, the Explorers’ leading scorer, was well guarded but managed 11 points and seven rebounds.
Stinson comes up clutch
After Macktoon’s and-one layup to cut St. Joe’s lead to four points, the Hawks were in desperate need of a basket to stunt the Explorers’ momentum. They turned to a player who was quiet offensively all game.
Forward Faith Stinson did not score for the first 38 minutes but scored her first points when it mattered most. She got free on a cut and guard Rhian Stokes (11 points) delivered a perfect pass that Stinson converted to halt La Salle’s run.
“You saw a senior post who had been there, done that,” Griffin said. “She came up big in the first game [against La Salle], and at the end of the day, we went to her, we found her. Rhian found her in the first game and I think that kind of sealed the game and it was just the same situation today.”
Big second half
The Hawks built a 24-17 lead with back-to-back three-pointers from Knouse, a freshman. However, the Explorers did not stay down long, thanks to Williams. She made two straight jumpers to cap an 11-2 run, which gave La Salle a two-point lead. The teams traded baskets to enter halftime tied at 32.
St. Joe’s forward Cecilia Kay (32) battles La Salle forward Kiara Williams for a rebound.
St. Joe’s jumped out to a 38-34 lead to open the third frame and never allowed La Salle to retake the lead. That lead ballooned to 10 halfway through the fourth quarter, and the Hawks’ strong second half helped them prevail.
“I think we came out and it didn’t really go our way, but then we showed up in the second half with our grit, our toughness and staying composed and staying together to really come out and take a force in the first three minutes of the second half,” Casey said. “I think that was just really great, and that gave us momentum throughout the game.”
Up next
St. Joe’s returns home to take on Davidson (15-7, 7-2) on Sunday (1 p.m., ESPN+), while La Salle will travel to face Duquesne (7-14, 0-10) on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+).
Temple had a chance to break its tie for second place in the American Conference on Wednesday night against Charlotte. The Owls trailed once in the second half and at one point held an eight-point lead.
It wasn’t enough, however, as the 49ers stormed back to hand Temple an 80-76 overtime loss at the Liacouras Center.
The Owls (13-8, 5-3) were within striking distance with 17 seconds remaining in overtime. Then Charlotte guard Dezayne Mingo drilled a three-pointer that pushed the 49ers (12-9, 6-2) lead to five and squandered the Owls’ comeback hopes as they missed their final four shots.
Temple coach Adam Fisher reacts to an official’s call against Charlotte on Wednesday.
“We won the first half, but the second half, we had a couple lapses,” said Temple coach Adam Fisher. “This is a team we knew [to] try to keep them in the 60s. Great credit to Charlotte. There’s a reason they’re 6-2 [and] towards the top of the league.”
Statistical leaders
Guard Derrian Ford led Temple with 21 points, while guard Jordan Mason added 20.
Charlotte center Anton Bonke stole the show with a career-high 25 points, breaking his previous high of 20, which he set against Temple on Dec. 30. Mingo also had 19 points off the bench while dishing out 10 assists.
Mason took charge of the Owls’ offense, and 14 of their first-half points were three-pointers.
Temple’s defense had to deal with the 49ers’ size and height advantage. When Bonke attacked the paint, the Owls found themselves in foul trouble. They finished with 20 personal fouls.
“Good job getting into some pick-and-roll spaces and they throw it up to him, and he’s huge,” Fisher said. “Great credit to him. He had 20 against us out there last time, when we won, we knew ‘Hey, they can’t make threes.’ When Harrison scores double figures, I think they’ve won every game. So they got a lot of weapons.”
However, Temple did limit the American’s third-best team in shooting to make 9 of 24 attempts in the first half, going 4 of 9 in three-pointers. Charlotte shot 53.8% in the second, but went 3-for-12 in three-pointers.
Temple kept up with Charlotte and trailed once in the second half and took an eight-point lead with under seven minutes remaining. But that advantage didn’t last.
Game-changing play
Temple had possession with 30 seconds remaining in regulation, leading 68-66, with a chance to put the game to rest. Guard Masiah Gilyard snagged a steal and it seemed like Temple would secure a victory.
Gilyard attempted a dagger three-pointer, but it went off the mark and after a scramble for the loose ball, it got into the hands of Mingo. He found guard Damoni Harrison, who converted a layup to send the game to overtime.
“It looked like almost a broken play,” Fisher said.
Temple never recovered, as it went 1-for-6 from the field in the extra period.
Up next
Temple will host South Florida (13-7, 5-2) on Saturday (8 p.m. ESPN+).
COLUMBUS, Ohio ― The Flyers traveled more than four hundred miles from where they’re known. Although they had a change in scenery, they carried many of their issues over from Monday.
Despite Dan Vladař’s spectacular saves in net, in his first game since getting injured against the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 14, and the third career hat trick by Travis Konecny, the Flyers were handed a 5-3 loss by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Flyers have now lost nine of their last 11 games, including two straight in which they have been outscored a combined 9-3.
Sean Monahan scored with 3 minutes, 28 seconds left in regulation as he stood alone at the left post. The Flyers struggled to get the puck out, and Damon Severson sent the puck across from the right boards to the open winger. Mathieu Olivier scored an empty-netter to seal it for Columbus.
It was a delicate few opening seconds for the Flyers when, on the first shift, Charlie Coyle gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 38 seconds into the game. Trevor Zegras was on the boards and tried to pass to his centerman, Christian Dvorak, to start a breakout, but it went through, and Zach Werenski kept the puck in to Olivier.
The rugged forward then fed Coyle, who was honored before the game for reaching 1,000 games on Jan. 22, as he got behind the defense. Coyle scored over the glove of Vladař.
Later in the period, Konecny evened the game with his 18th goal of the season. It also tied him with Zegras for the points lead (46).
Zegras had the puck deep and tried to chip it to Konecny, but it popped all the way out to Noah Juulsen at the left point. The defenseman fed it across to Cam York, and he hit Konecny in the middle. He had room and skated down and snapped the puck past goalie Elvis Merzļikins.
The Flyers had a great chance to take a 2-1 lead with under 2 minutes left in the opening frame when, on a power play, Zegras skated through the Blue Jackets defense. He hit the puck off the heel of his blade, but the Flyers kept going, ultimately with Zegras getting another look at a wide-open net. His shot ended up hitting either the right post or the stick of Bobby Brink that was lying in the crease after he lost it during a commotion.
Columbus took the lead with 20 seconds to go in the period on a goal by Kirill Marchenko. Skating four-on-four, after the Flyers were called for too many men during the man advantage, the Blue Jackets skated down with Werenski and Owen Tippett chasing after the puck.
From one angle, it looked like Werenski interfered with Tippett. From another, it looked clean. Regardless, there was no call, and Werenski, who will represent the United States at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, fed the puck from the right circle to Marchenko in the left for the one-timer.
Erik Gudbranson made it 3-1 less than two minutes into the second period when his point shot off a faceoff beat Vladař. It may have nicked Dvorak on the way in.
Despite allowing four goals, Vladař did not look rusty as he kept the Flyers in the game. He made a phenomenal standing pad save on Werenski as it looked like he batted the puck out of the air with 3:05 to go in the second.
And then in the third period, in between Konecny scoring again from the middle of the ice to make it 3-2, Vladař robbed Adam Fantilli sitting at the right post with his glove, and then did it again to Boone Jenner from the same spot. The first save on Fantilli was reviewed, but it confirmed Vladař’s magnificent save.
Konecny finished off the hat trick to tie the game at 3-3. He received a pass from Travis Sanheim from the left board as Konecny crashed down the right side.
This goal and his other in the final period came off a gutsy performance by the forward, who blocked a shot late in the second period and hobbled to the bench. He went down the tunnel right at the buzzer of the middle frame and didn’t get back to the bench until after the puck dropped for the third period.
Konecny now leads the Flyers in goals (20) and points (48).
“He’s hitting the holes, and he’s, we call it, race inside, and he races inside on them and beats people, and then obviously he’s got a good shot,” said Rick Tocchet.
“And he took one off the foot. He’s limping around. He might not play tomorrow. We don’t know. He [had] a lot of guts tonight.”
Breakaways
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen did not return following his second shift of the game, leaving with a lower-body injury. The Finn returned on Monday after missing six games. Tocchet did not have an update on him after the game. … Defenseman Emil Andrae was a healthy scratch, along with forwards Nic Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway.
Up next
The Flyers will get right back to it in Boston on Thursday against the Bruins (7 p.m., NBCSP+).
Cailin Williams was always interested in hockey. Like most middle-school athletes, she just wanted to make friends and compete. It didn’t matter that she could barely skate — Williams just wanted to play.
But there was one issue: There was no league for her to play in.
In 2021, Comcast Spectator and the Flyers Training Center changed that. Together, they launched The Philadelphia Liberties, a youth hockey program for girls.
The girls train and practice out of the Flyers Training Center and often have a front-row view of Flyers practice. This past month, Flyers forward Trevor Zegras dropped in after a Liberties game to take pictures and meet some of the girls.
“I think it’s just something really cool to experience,” Williams, 16, said. “To be able to have this opportunity, knowing that I get to play when some people aren’t lucky enough to, and then I also get to share the same ice as professional players is really great.”
But it wasn’t necessarily a smooth start.
“We didn’t win one game [that first season],” said Flyers Training Center director of development Jeremy Hall. “Actually, I don’t know if we even scored a singular goal. But that first season was just something to get them started.”
Since then, the Liberties have only continued to expand. The organization started with just one team, but it now has three teams running across various age groups — 10U, 14U, and 19U — for a total of 53 girls in the program.
“We actually won a handful of games [the second season] and just really got some momentum going,” Hall said. “From that point forward, the growth in the last three to four years is honestly quite incredible to see where we’re at today, compared to where we were when we started. I’ve been in the rink here for 17 years, and I haven’t seen another program grow as fast and have had as much success as this one.”
Thank you to all of our staff, volunteers, and teams that make the Liberties Invitational an event we look forward to every year.
Four years ago the Invitational began with 7 teams. Since then this tournament has exceeded our wildest expectations pic.twitter.com/hR96VG6rrf
But the program’s goal wasn’t just getting more girls involved in hockey — it was about visibility for girls’ hockey in general.
In 2023, the program hosted the first Philadelphia Liberties Invitational, which featured seven teams. Three years later, the tournament hosted 45 teams ranging from 8U to 19U. And the visibility that has come from this expansion is setting up the players for a childhood full of opportunities.
These opportunities aren’t just limited to on the ice, though. Through the Flyers and Comcast, the girls have done ceremonial puck drops at Flyers games, have been invited to the White House to skate at the rink, and some players even met Jessica Campbell, an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken and the first female coach in the NHL.
“Some of those opportunities come from [the Flyers’ Training Center] being our home,” Hall said. “That’s something that the girls definitely don’t downplay. They recognize that it’s a privilege.”
Philadelphia Liberties U16 player Emily Esposito does the ceremonial puck drop at a Flyers game against the Vegas Golden Knights on March 8, 2022, to celebrate International Women’s Day.
As the Liberties have expanded, girls’ hockey in general is on the same path.
“In the last two to three years, [girls’ hockey has] exponentially grown,” Flyers Training Center general manager Jay Freeman said. “Not only for us, but just in general, for the country.”
And that’s the goal of the Liberties: growth. In every possible way.
“I always tell my team that hockey is the most beautiful game in the world,” 19U coach Linda Rehmann said. “And any day you get to play it, you’re a lucky person. But the game is about more than what happens on the ice. Our organization is about growing good people, teaching life lessons that they’re going to take with them, adversity, teamwork, resilience, all kinds of things that I think when you’re in that intense, competitive sport environment, it just accelerates your learning process.”
Rehmann started her hockey journey in Canada when she was just 5 years old. She played with boys for the first seven years before making the transition to girls’ hockey.
Her journey led her to Cornell, where she won an Ivy League title as a sophomore and was cocaptain her senior year.
“Hockey played a huge role the first 22 years [of my life],” Rehmann said. “My whole life was basically centered around my hockey schedule, and I loved it. I really felt like it shaped who I became. I’m an engineer. Professionally, I feel very comfortable in rooms full of men, and I believe that competitive sport makes girls strong.”
Rehmann has been with the Liberties for the past three years, and that message of empowering girls and women has carried over to her athletes.
Congratulations to the New York Islanders and New Jersey Colonials!
After four days of non-stop action, the 4th annual Liberties Invitational has officially come to a close. pic.twitter.com/dS7ru89W9A
“Coach Linda, she’s been amazing,” Williams said. “I started out not really being able to skate very well, and now I can move, I’m doing good. I think a big part of it is having a really supportive group of coaches who are always there and want us to get better.”
Said Rehmann: “I’m getting a little bit teary just thinking about [how Liberties has changed these girls’ lives]. What we offer is a place where they can be themselves. They can be honest with each other; they can make mistakes.
“[They have social pressures in their lives], but at the rink, they can relax, they feel at home, they feel safe. I think that’s really what [this] is. [The Liberties] gives them a tremendous growth opportunity as an athlete. It shows that they’re willing to put [themselves] out there, try new things, and open [themselves] up to something else that [they] might otherwise not be willing to do.”
If you’ve never heard the parable of the “Prodigal Son,” you can watch it unfold in real time over the next few months on the PGA Tour.
LIV defector Brooks Koepka is back.
It’s the biggest moment in golf since Phil Mickelson announced he was joining the renegade league on June 6, 2022. Koepka, a five-time major championship winner, an all-American success story, is the first LIV player to kneel and beg forgiveness of the men that he betrayed.
This is biblical, if you will, in its importance to the golf world.
Briefly: Jesus, in Luke 15: 13-31, tells a tale in which the younger son of a rich man asks to have his inheritance immediately, so he can seek his fortune in the world. The son soon squanders the money, the economy collapses, and he hits rock bottom feeding pigs (sorry, LIV fans). The son then crawls back home, hoping his father will hire him as a servant. Instead, the father rejoices at his son’s return and calls for a feast, featuring a fatted calf.
In this analogy, Koepka is the son. New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp is the father — or, perhaps the stepfather, considering Jay Monahan ran the Tour when Koepka followed dozens of other LIV defectors, all of whom Monahan banned, and who remain banned by Rolapp.
The feast of the fatted calf? That would be the Farmers Insurance Open, Koepka’s first tournament during his season of mild penance. It begins Thursday at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Harris English is the defending champion. Two-time major winner Xander Schauffele, ranked sixth, and U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, ranked seventh, lead a 147-player field that includes 25 of the top 50 players in the world.
But make no mistake: This is Brooks Koepka’s party.
But he’s bringing guests.
About 24 hours before Koepka’s marquee comeback tee time, golf’s biggest brat, LIV dud Patrick Reed, announced that he will return to the PGA Tour, too. Reed, who won just once on LIV, on Wednesday said in a statement that he will leave LIV and compete on the DP World Tour until Aug. 25, when he will be eligible to play in PGA Tour events. His DP performances have him ranked 29th in the world, which, along with his lifetime exemption as a Masters champion, virtually assures him entry to all four majors this year.
After careful thought and consideration, my family and I have decided that I will no longer compete on the LIV Golf Tour.
I am excited to announce that I am returning to the PGA TOUR as a past champion member for the 2027 season and am eligible to begin competing in PGA TOUR… pic.twitter.com/LFq61njCrh
The parameters of Reed’s imminent return are murky, and he has applied to return to the PGA Tour in 2027 as a past champion (he has nine wins), but he is not subject to the hastily constructed Returning Player Program (RPP) that Koepka’s interest spurred and targets only the biggest names on LIV.
One of the facets of the program produced a 147-player field at the Farmers. It would have been a 144-player field, but according to Rolapp’s RPP, the Tour couldn’t kick out an actual qualifier to add Koepka. However, adding Koepka made it necessary to add two other players to balance out the three-player groups. That meant alternates Lanto Griffin and Jackson Suber got spots.
The eventual return of Reed indicates that Rolapp is eager to build his business and to siphon talent from LIV, no matter how bad the optics or how minor the love. Reed, who won the Dubai Desert Classic last week on the DP World Tour, is a far less formidable presence than Koepka. Further, he has a reputation as a longtime cheater with a bad temper, a potty mouth, and little time for fellow competitors.
Patrick Reed, who won just once on LIV, is returning to the PGA Tour.
Rolapp might not kill the fatted calf for Reed, but, as Rolapp knows from his NFL days dealing with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, every sport needs villains.
With a 12:32 p.m. EST tee time Thursday and a 1:38 p.m. tee time Friday, Koepka will be part of the featured group with Ludvig Åberg, an inoffensive rising Eurostar, and Max Homa, the PGA Tour’s social media genius.
The program is open to any LIV player who won a major from 2022-25 and has been away from the PGA Tour for at least two years, a group that includes only Koepka, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith, all of whom have, so far, decided to stay with LIV. They have until Monday to change their minds, and then the application window closes.
So, for the foreseeable future, it’s the Brooks Koepka Returning Player Program.
As a punitive measure, the program restricts Koepka earning power from ancillary means, such as FedEx Cup bonus money and the Player Equity Program, for varied periods of time; makes sure that Koepka doesn’t bump anyone from any field; requires that he plays in at least 15 events this season; and demands a $5 million donation to charity.
None of this is especially “punitive” for the likes of Koepka, who reportedly made $165 million in signing bonus and winnings on LIV, added to his $43 million he made on the Tour.
Because it is the first real, tangible, important step into reconciling the best LIV players with the best players in the world, which is what fans deserve.
The Tour suffered from the absences of superb players in their primes such as Koepka, Rahm, DeChambeau, young Chilean star Joaquin Niemann, who has been the cream of the LIV Tour, and even Mickelson, whose game is garbage but whose name still would sell tickets on both the PGA and Champions tours.
The careers and games of all of the LIV players suffered, playing benign, inferior courses in 54-hole tournaments against laughable competition.
The game also lost personalities to LIV obscurity: Koepka’s surliness, Rahm’s earnestness, Dustin Johnson’s goofiness, Mickelson’s buttery condescension, and DeChambeau’s energetic petulance which, thanks to YouTube, has somehow transformed into energetic affability.
None of the LIV stars has sworn to never return to the PGA Tour, but no one is better suited to begin reconciliation than Koepka.
Brooks Koepka celebrates after a LIV win in 2024 with his wife, Jena Sims, and son Crew.
When he joined LIV in 2022, in contrast to most players who were clearly interested in only the sportswashing money offered by the Saudi-backed rival tour, Koepka was cast as a reluctant defector — a massive talent who feared that the injuries he’d been dealing with for months might derail the career of the most promising player since Rory McIlroy.
Koepka, mellowed by years of insignificance and decline, seemed repentant when he addressed his return at a Farmers news conference Tuesday. He was less like the Koepka who belligerently denied cheating at the 2023 Masters, when his caddie told Koepka’s playing partner which club Koepka had used, and more like the Koepka who, in 2018 at Shinnecock, won a second consecutive U.S. Open: reflective, appreciative, mature.
There are reasons for that.
Since winning the 2023 PGA Championship, which keeps him qualified for all majors, Koepka has finished inside the top 25 of his last eight majors just once. In 2025, he finished tied for 30th in the LIV rankings among just 52 regular players, many of them the definitions of “washed” and “obscure.” Koepka’s game is poor, and, at 35, time is running out.
His family life has changed, too. His wife, Jena Sims, suffered a miscarriage last fall.
Jena Sims has posted on Instagram that her and Brooks Koepka lost a pregnancy at 16 weeks earlier this year.
This is awful news and we’d just like to wish Jena, Brooks and Crew all the best 🙏 pic.twitter.com/NVsarKBVdD
Koepka, who has a 2½-year old son named Crew, enjoys fatherhood, and the international nature of the LIV Tour, combined with playing DP World Tour events in Europe to accumulate world golf ranking points, made a normal family life more difficult than he’d imagined.
“Just having my family around’s really important. I’ve grown up a lot over the last few years, and especially the last few months,” he said.
The timeline of his decision seems dubious on its face, both from him and the PGA Tour.
Koepka said Tuesday that he negotiated his release from LIV, finalized on Dec. 23, before contacting any PGA Tour entities regarding reinstatement. He said only then did he contact Tiger Woods, the chairman of the PGA Tour’s competition committee, and, voilá, just 19 days later, over the busiest holiday season of the calendar year, the PGA Tour had devised a comprehensive Return to Play protocol for the Koepka crowd.
It took five years for these guys to agree on how to limit golf ball flight. So, yeah.
The machinations that led to Koepka’s return are far less important than the reality of Koepka’s return. In many ways, Koepka was the PGA Tour’s biggest loss to LIV.
Rahm was more dynamic, DeChambeau was more interesting, Koepka was the best player, was the best athlete, was American, and was a major championship-winning machine.
Does McIlroy win eight times in Koepka’s absence? Does he complete the career Grand Slam last April if Koepka’s in good form?
More significantly, does Scottie Scheffler win 17 times, including three majors, if Koepka’s not honing his skills against Pat Perez on a burned-out course in Indiana? (Notably, Perez, Kevin Na, and Hudson Swafford also have been reinstated, sort of, pending unspecified penalties. Perez plans to join the Champions Tour when he turns 50 in March, pending penalties and fines.)
Maybe Koepka delays Scottie’s ascension, and maybe he slows Rory’s roll. Maybe not.
He isn’t likely to make much noise any time soon, especially at Torrey, where he’s missed four of five cuts at the Farmers.
At any rate, the game will be better for the presence of Koepka’s talent. His penalties aren’t nearly harsh enough, considering the hundreds of millions of dollars players like Sheffler, McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas left on the table by declining LIV offers, but that isn’t Rolapp’s main objective.
Rolapp, the NFL’s former chief media and business officer, oversaw much of the growth of the most lucrative league in the history of the planet. Don’t expect Monday to be the last chance for the biggest LIV stars to return. Rolapp clearly will do anything he needs to do to accommodate the return of any player who can help the PGA Tour heal.
Just after noon on Thursday, Koepka, the prodigal son, begins that healing.
Yes, it’s still a dice roll if Joel Embiid’s knees will hold up on any given night or if Paul George will consistently rip off the warmups. But let’s remove our collective Negadelphian tendencies for one second, and you’ll find a team that’s been pretty fun to watch underneath, with a pair of stars not named Embiid or George receiving national attention.
Any hoophead will tell you that the cover of SLAM Magazine is the holy grail, and in their latest issue, the magazine features both Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe in the Sixers’ signature throwback black uniforms.
As my 9-year-old would say, the SLAM cover and the distinction “is tough.”
It headlines a strong year for both players, with Maxey named a starter for the NBA’s All-Star game while Edgecombe is lauded as one of the league’s top rookies, averaging 15.4 points and a fan favorite of the prime minister of the Bahamas.
Oh, and not discounting Embiid and George, let’s remember the two got together on Tuesday, combining for 61 points in a win over the Bucks. Now, they all collectively look to run it back inside Xfinity Mobile Arena against Sacramento tonight (7 p.m., NBCSP).
As for today, expect sunny skies, but we’re still in a tundra across the region, with temperatures not expected to leave the teens — again.
The Phillies are excited about Otto Kemp’s bat, especially when he’s fully healthy, which he was not in 2025.
Otto Kemp is hoping for a healthier 2026 with the Phillies. He underwent two procedures this winter to address injuries he’d been grinding through last year: a bone fragment removed from his left knee and what he described as a “shoulder cleanup.”
Kemp had been playing with the bone fragment since June, but only missed a single game.
“He’s just so tough. He really is,” said manager Rob Thomson. “He’s just one of those guys that can put all that pain and little dings behind them, and forget about it, and go out and play..”
Kemp expects to be fully ready for spring training. The Phillies’ first full-squad workout is set for Feb. 16 in Clearwater, Fla.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, January 12, 2026 in Philadelphia.
Win or lose, we’re sure it felt good for Flyers fans to see goalie Dan Vladǎr between the pipes against the Columbus Blue Jackets last night.
After missing the last six games due to a lower-body injury, Vladǎr made 26 saves in a 5-3 loss in his 29th start, which matched a career-high.
“He’s been very consistent for us, and a really competitive guy, and he adds a lot to our locker,” said Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said, … [he] likes to be involved with the players with instructions, even just being positive with the guys. So he’s going to add a lot to our room, especially on the ice and off the ice.”
Nathan Harriel is one part of a rotating corps of defenders that the Union are trying out at the outside back position.
Union manager Bradley Carnell offered a good deal of insight into the team’s current state as they ramp up preseason training in Marbella, Spain. During his weekly press conference, Carnell exuded calm as he explained a number of issues that still need clarity before the season gets going in a few weeks.
It was like watching a mallard hover gracefully on water, unable to see its feet flapping feverishly below the surface. Currently, the Union is trying to get players up to speed both defensively and on offense, the latter of which finds newcomer Ezekiel Alladoh looking to build chemistry with potential fellow strike partner Bruno Damiani up top.
Ahead of another preseason game scheduled for later this morning, when they play an extended match against Montenegro’s FK Buducnost, Inquirer reporter Jonathan Tannenwald examines what the Union are still looking to perfect.
Inquirer reporter Scott Lauber sits down with Phillies manager Rob Thomson ahead of spring training.
In less than three weeks, Phillies pitchers and catchers will hold their first spring-training workout. It’s a good time to sit down with manager Rob Thomson, who discussed the roster in the aftermath of not signing Bo Bichette, the potential impact of rookies Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter, the value of J.T. Realmuto, and, perhaps most importantly, if he thinks the Phillies are better now than at the end of last season. Watch here.
On this date
Jan. 29, 2023: The Eagles were headed to Super Bowl LIX following a 31-7 dismantling of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Standings, stats, and more
Looking for a deeper breakdown of last night’s Flyers game? Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is on the outside looking in at the ballot for the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame induction class.
“In Bill Belichick’s hour of disappointment and shame, Philly can savor revenge…Why should Belichick, a proven and penalized two-time cheater, be treated any better than other scofflaw? He might not be Pete Rose, but he ain’t Bill Walsh, either.” — The latest from Hayes diving into the former Patriots head coach’s first ballot Hall of Fame snub.
What you’re saying about the WNBA
We asked: What are your thoughts on an WNBA team in Philly?
Absolutely, Philadelphia should have a WNBA team. Philadelphia is a basketball city with a far richer basketball history and heritage than almost any other city in the U.S. Right now, there are no Philly-area schools in the top 25 women’s college rankings. I think the presence of a WNBA team might even help some of Philly’s Big 5 women’s teams become UConn- or South Carolina-level powerhouses. Maybe coach [Dawn] Staley would retire and be the first Philly coach. — Everett S.
I think it’s great, especially for young women. It’s long overdue. — Tom G.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Gabriela Carroll, Kerith Gabriel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Lochlahn March, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, Devin Jackson, Vaughn Johnson, and Scott Lauber.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
That’s Thursday. Stay warm, be safe, and we’ll be back tomorrow to get you ready for the weekend. — Kerith
In college, he played the Division II national championship game with a broken hand — and went 4-for-4. He also has a habit of getting hit by pitches, 26 total last year, including four in a single game in triple A to set a Lehigh Valley record.
But even so, Kemp is hoping for a healthier 2026 with the Phillies. He underwent two procedures this winter to address injuries he’d been grinding through last year: a bone fragment removed from his left knee and what he described as a “shoulder cleanup.”
Kemp had been playing with the bone fragment since June, but only missed a single game.
“He’s just so tough. He really is,” said manager Rob Thomson. “He’s just one of those guys that can put all that pain and little dings behind them, and forget about it, and go out and play. Some guys are like that, and he’s one of them. He’s a phenomenal kid.”
Kemp expects to be fully ready for spring training. The Phillies’ first full-squad workout is set for Feb. 16 in Clearwater, Fla.
And it figures to be a big spring training for the 26-year-old. Over the offseason, Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski both emphasized the importance of injecting youth into the Phillies roster in 2026. The Phillies had the second-oldest lineup in baseball last year, with an average age of 30.3 years old.
Otto Kemp (right) worked with coach Paco Figueroa to get acclimated to left field last season.
One name that keeps cropping up? Kemp.
“We like a lot of things about him,” Dombrowski said. “He’s a good hitter, and the ball jumps off his bat. He’s a threat when he comes to the plate. … He’s a tough son of a gun. He’s a championship-type player. I mean, what he played through last year, injury-wise, I don’t think that there’s many people that would have done that.”
Kemp will likely have an opportunity in left field as a right-handed platoon partner for Brandon Marsh. He came up through the Phillies’ system as an infielder but played 63 major league innings last season in left field, logging significant time working with coach Paco Figueroa. Kemp recorded plus-1 defensive runs saved in the outfield in 2025.
But he also acknowledged that he still has a lot to learn about the position.
“Every place that you play at, the dimensions are different, the environment is different,” Kemp said. “So just learning how to play through the elements, and learning what I need to take away from any ballpark that we’re at, and how the ball bounces off the wall, what the dimensions are like. Learning overall feel in the outfield, I think, is just going to be the biggest part moving forward.”
The Phillies are most excited about Kemp’s bat, especially when he’s fully healthy. He had a .234 batting average and .709 OPS in 62 major league games last season, but the potential for more power is there. He hit 16 home runs in 74 triple-A games.
With a big spring on the horizon, Kemp is looking forward to the opportunity to be one of the young players potentially impacting the lineup and clubhouse.
Otto Kemp had a .709 OPS in 62 games with the Phillies last season.
“It’s awesome to be recognized for the work that we’ve been putting in,” Kemp said. “… Really just try and lean into that, and just be gamers, and play the game hard and do things the right way. Just seeing all of that kind of take shape and start to form something has been really cool.”
Kemp could share the outfield with another young player in Justin Crawford, who is the Phillies’ presumptive opening day center fielder. Kemp has teamed up with the 22-year-old at several minor league stops.
“He’s a gamer. He’s a game changer,” Kemp said. “He’s got speed. He’s just raw athletic. He’s just a grindy guy. He’s going to get the job done, and I’m excited to see what he can do at the big league level, because just playing with him over the last three years has been really special.
“Fun to see him in the leadoff spot, just setting the tone, swiping bags, taking extra 90s [bases]. I think it’s all stuff that plays a big factor in winning baseball games, so it’s going to be fun to see him do that on the biggest stage.”
After Kemp’s whirlwind rookie year ended and he started to address the injuries he’d been playing through, he took some time with his wife to reflect on the journey. When he made his major league debut in June, he accomplished something that few other Division II college players and undrafted free agents have.
But he doesn’t want the story to end there.
“You get a lot of ups and downs in this game,” Kemp said. “And there’s people that don’t stick. And hopefully I’m trying to prove to be one of those guys that can get established up here.”
On the latest episode of New Heights, Jason and Travis Kelce break down Championship Sunday and make their Super Bowl predictions.
The brothers welcomed Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, who spoke about his transition to television host after his NFL career and shared some personal anecdotes of his time with the Giants.
Strahan was quick to point out that Denver should have beat New England — and even Houston should have came up with a win over the Patriots in the divisional round two weeks ago, he said.
“[Denver] should have kicked that field goal and gone up,” Strahan added. “Early on, take the points — but I don’t get these coaches now because fourth down now is automatic go for it more than it’s not.
“I get analytics but you got to feel the team. You got to feel the situation. … I felt bad for Sean Payton — I talked to him before the game, very confident in what they were doing.”
Michael Strahan said Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was “very confident in what they were doing,” ahead of their matchup against New England in the AFC Championship.
In the NFC Championship, Jason, Travis, and Strahan acknowledged the tough battle between the Rams and Seahawks, but were happy to see Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold get his opportunity on the big stage.
“I’m happy for Sam Darnold,” Strahan said. “I played in New York, it’s hard. He comes in here as the third overall pick, doesn’t go well, gets beat down; mentally, physically, and then five teams in eight years, and everyone thinks he’s washed.
“Why Seattle pay him all this money? Now you see why.”
Super Bowl predictions
When it comes to Super Bowl LX, there seemed to be a mutual consensus on a favorable winner.
While Travis Kelce can’t share his opinion since he’s still in the league, he said he’s looking forward to watching the matchup between Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
As for Jason Kelce and Strahan, they were in agreement: Seattle.
“I think Seattle has the edge,” Strahan said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a cakewalk — football’s not like the other sports, if you don’t show up with your best one day, it’s a wrap.”
Jason Kelce, however, did praise the Patriots’ defense, noting their not getting enough credit.
Strahan reflects on playing career
Strahan, who spent 15 seasons with the Giants, said his real challenge in the NFL came five years into his career, when Jon Runyan was traded from Tennessee to the Eagles.
“The whole thing was ‘We brought him to Philly to stop Strahan,’ which pissed me off,” Strahan said.
“I studied Jon Runyan probably more than I studied anybody. I could tell what he was going to do before he could do it.”
Michael Strahan gets blocked by former Eagle Jon Runyan on Jan. 1, 2001.
As the two went head-to-head throughout their careers, the tougher the matchup became: Runyan got savvier and Strahan studied more. But the two ended their careers as friends. Strahan even recalled how Runyan attended Strahan’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“Jon made me a better player, because playing against him made everyone else seem easy,” he said.
Life outside of the NFL
Strahan retired from the NFL in 2008 and quickly got involved with television and broadcasting. He’s appeared as a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday,and served as a co-host of ABC‘s Good Morning America.
He shared some retirement advice on the podcast, including how to think about life after being a professional athlete, how he prepared himself for a new career, and when he knew it was time to walk away.
“I realized, for me, after 15 years, I had done everything,” Strahan said. “There was no way I was going to cry at the final press conference. I knew I had put everything I had into it.”
The WNBA kicks off its 30th season in May, but that doesn’t mean fans have to wait until the spring to see stars take the court.
Unrivaled, the three-on-three professional women’s basketball league, tipped off its season on Jan. 5. In its second season, the league is hitting the road for Philly is Unrivaled, in which four of the eight teams will head to Xfinity Mobile Arena for a doubleheader.
Here’s everything you need to know:
What is Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is a three-on-three professional women’s basketball league that provides WNBA players with an opportunity to play domestically during the offseason.
Its inaugural season tipped off on January 17, 2025, with six teams. The league now has eight teams and a total of 54 players.
The teams are: Laces, Mist, Rose, Lunar Owls, Phantom, Vinyl, and the two new additions — Hive and Breeze.
Gameplay features three seven-minute quarters with a game clock, an 18-second shot clock, and six fouls per player.
The fourth quarter of play uses a “winning score” rule. This means at the end of the third quarter, officials determine a winning score by adding 11 points to the leading team’s score. The first team to get to that winning number wins the game.
In addition to the two new teams, another change this season is a development pool of six players. None of these athletes are assigned to a specific team at the start of the season but remain on-site and serve as injury-relief players.
Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier (right) and Skylar Diggins are among injured Unrivaled players this season.
How did Unrivaled start?
WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier founded Unrivaled in 2023 to give players a new option for offseason play.
Within just one year, the league raised $35 million in capital and attracted sponsors like Miller Lite and Under Armour, while being backed by other professional athletes including U.S. women’s soccer star Alex Morgan.
Unrivaled began with six teams and 36 total players, with each of the 36 earning more than $220,000 in salary. The league also offers players equity and revenue sharing, which has created an incentive for WNBA players to not head overseas during the offseason.
In its second season, the league will feature more than a dozen first-time players, including Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers.
While Unrivaled games typically are played at Sephora Arena in Medley, Fla., the 2026 season has one scheduled stop in Philadelphia.
Philly is Unrivaled, a doubleheader announced in October at LOVE Park, is set for Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Game 1 is Breeze against Phantoms (7:30 p.m.), while the second game features last year’s champion, Rose, against the Lunar Owls (8:45 p.m.).
Breeze guard Paige Bueckers (5) is defended by Phantom guard Tiffany Hayes in their Unrivaled season opener.
How can I watch Unrivaled?
For the 2026 season, Unrivaled games can be viewed on traditional TV via TNT and truTV or streamed on HBO Max. Both games of Philly is Unrivaled will air on those channels.
Stateside Live! has partnered with the league and Miller Lite to offer watch parties for Friday’s doubleheader. The official pregame begins at 4:30 p.m.
Who should I be on the lookout for?
Natasha Cloud, a guard for Phantom, is a Broomall native and graduate of Cardinal O’Hara and St. Joseph’s. Cloud, a three-time WNBA All-Defensive team honoree, was traded to New York Liberty ahead of the 2025 WNBA season after stints with the Phoenix Mercury and Washington Mystics.
This also is a pro hoops homecoming for North Philly native Kahleah Copper, who plays for Rose and the Mercury. She starred at Prep Charter before moving on to Rutgers. Copper, a four-time WNBA All-Star, also won a gold medal with the United States women’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
While she won’t be competing in Philly is Unrivaled, former Villanova star Maddy Siegrist is playing for Laces in her debut Unrivaled season. Siegrist set Villanova’s all-time scoring record before getting drafted third overall by the Wings.
Can I still get Unrivaled tickets?
While Philly is Unrivaled is officially sold out, tickets are still available on the secondary market via websites such as Ticketmaster and StubHub. Prices started at $35 for standing room only, as of Wednesday afternoon.
Unrivaled tickets for the league’s Florida games can be purchased on their website or resale ticket websites, including Ticketmaster, Vivid Seats, and GoTickets.
Although coach Rick Tocchet had confirmed the goalie would start against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max) ahead of the Flyers’ optional morning skate, Vladař was officially activated from injured reserve on Wednesday afternoon.
“Obviously, he’s been very consistent for us and a really competitive guy, and he adds a lot to our locker,” Tocchet said. “He’s a guy that, for a goalie, likes to be involved with the players with instructions, even just being positive with the guys. So he’s going to add a lot to our room, especially on the ice and off the ice.”
Vladař was injured in the first period of the Flyers’ loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 14 and missed the next six games with the lower-body ailment. He has been consistent this season, posting a 16-7-4 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 28 games.
Wednesday will mark Vladař’s 29th start, matching his career high set last season with the Calgary Flames.
The Flyers went 2-3-1 in his absence, with Sam Ersson going 2-2-1 with a 3.61 goals-against average and .872 save percentage. During the three-game road trip out west, Ersson was 2-0-1 with a 2.97 GAA and .897 save percentage against three of the NHL’s top teams.
The team played poorly in front of him on Monday in a 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders, but when Ersson plays consistently, he seems to get in a groove. Has there been a conversation among the coaching staff about getting Ersson more starts?
“Yeah, I think it depends on the schedule,” Tocchet said. “Obviously, you’re playing four in six, he’s going to get his time.
“But also Vladdy, there’s been times when he’s been on a roll. Your No. 1 goalie, you’ve got to get him out there. Obviously, you’ve got to have your backup in there, too. So it’s a schedule thing.”
Barkey finding his way
Seventeen games into his NHL career, Denver Barkey is feeling more and more comfortable as his first pro season moves on. There have been some ups and downs, like his two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning that led to being a healthy scratch against the Sabres.
But when his game is on, the 20-year-old has shown an elite hockey IQ. Barkey reads plays well, covers and supports his teammates, and can also create offense with his work ethic and vision. Despite playing last season in juniors — before his 26 games with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League and now the NHL — his hockey IQ has seamlessly transitioned to a level that has more speed and quickness to it.
Flyers rookie Denver Barkey hasn’t looked out of place since being called up to the NHL on Dec. 19.
It is something he has carried and built on since his days growing up in Newmarket, Ontario.
“I think you’re born with some of it, to an extent,” he said of his hockey IQ. “But I think just my love for the game, my passion for the game, over the years.
“When I was young, before I could remember, my dad would tell me how much I loved begging to go out to skate, or trying to stay up late to watch hockey games. I think I’ve always been really interested and just love the game, and I’ve always wanted to get better.”
He also feels his hockey IQ has helped him some of the challenges and criticisms he’s faced along the way.
“But I think just being a smaller guy my whole life has always forced me in different ways,” the 5-foot-10 Barkey said. “When I went to junior, and now here, there’s bigger, stronger, faster, better players, so finding other ways to try to outsmart them and still be effective, given me being a smaller player. So I think being smaller throughout the years has helped me just make plays and take the game to a high level.”
In 17 games, Barkey has two goals and eight points. Two of his assists came in his NHL debut against the New York Rangers on Dec. 20, and another two came in the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins right after he was scratched.
“I think he’s a guy that [if] you tell him something, he grasps it on the next shift. He takes the information very well,” said Tocchet. “You can tell that he was in a great program with London [of the Ontario Hockey League] and Dale Hunter. … Those guys, they send a lot of NHL-ready players, and he’s one of those kids who has taken that information there and come to the NHL and is starting to knock some doors down.”
Breakaways
With Vladař activated, Aleksei Kolosov has been returned to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. … Defenseman Noah Juulsen will enter the lineup. The expectation is Emil Andrae, who was on the ice for the optional skate, will sit. … Forwards Garnet Hathaway and Nic Deslauriers are also expected to be healthy scratches.
