Last Sunday afternoon, the Duke Blue Devils beat the North Carolina Tar Heels, 72-68 in front of a raucous, sold-out crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The win kept Duke undefeated in ACC play and atop the conference.  When the buzzer sounded, head coach Kara Lawson beamed as she embraced her two seniors, Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair, who capped off an emotional senior night by leading the team in scoring and making key plays down the stretch to seal the win.

The postgame vibes on the court were completely different from those nine weeks ago, when Duke fell 93-77 to LSU for its fourth loss in a row to drop to 3-6 on the season. 

Every basketball season has its ups and downs, but Duke’s arc — from being preseason No. 7; to being out of the top 25 all together by the third week of the season amid a stretch that included a humiliating road loss to a West Virginia team that played the entire second half with only one starter and four bench players due to ejections and a loss to a South Florida team that is currently No. 75 in the NET rankings; to its current 16-game winning streak and return to No. 9 in the rankings — has been one of the most extreme in recent memory.

So how exactly has Duke turned things around so dramatically? There’s never just one factor, especially in a team sport, but Lawson’s postgame presser gave some invaluable insight — just not for the reason you might think.

First, here’s Lawson’s response when a reporter asked what she said to her team back in November in the thick of their struggles. 

I think what’s really important, whether you’re in a season of prosperity or you’re in a season of adversity … I think it’s really important that you stick to what’s real and true. What’s real and true in basketball? Film, analytics, what you see every day from your team. And when you stay focused and locked in on that, then you can give a real assessment of where you are and where you need to get to. Anything outside of that is irrelevant, right? Someone’s opinion doesn’t change whether you can do it or not. It’s just someone’s opinion. So to spend time and energy on that doesn’t serve you. And so the fastest way to get from a season of adversity to a season of prosperity is to lock in on what’s real and true. Figure out where you need to work and get better, and then it will turn at some point.

We don’t get to control the length of our adversity. That’s a frustrating thing about life. When we’re in adversity, we’re like, ‘OK, is it over yet?’ You wake up and you’re like, ‘Is it over yet?’ You don’t get to control that. You get to control who you are in it. That’s it. Who are you in adversity? That’s what you get to control. So what I focus on during that time, and what I encourage my players to focus on, is, ‘Who are we in this time, and where do we need to get to?’ And when you lock in on that, then you’re gonna have success at some point.

Her answer has struck a nerve with people, which isn’t a surprise. If you’ve paid any attention to Lawson over the years, you know she always has a deep reflection on life, work or personal growth on the tip of her tongue, even moreso than most coaches I encounter on the job, and her speeches frequently go viral.

But on Sunday, I wasn’t so much struck by the words she was saying, though they certainly were powerful. Rather, I was struck by how familiar they sounded. 

Sure enough, when I went back and revisited her press conference after the LSU loss, I realized she gave the exact same message. When asked what she was telling her players, she said she was telling them the truth and getting them to focus on film and individual plays rather than wins and losses. She praised them for staying positive amidst the adversity.

If you’ve gone through adversity in your life … you know you want it to end right away. You know, most of us want adversity and go really quickly. Like, OK, it’ll be tough for half a day and then we’re done. And this has been tough for longer for us. Like, good! Good. Because this is what life is about. You don’t get to control the length of your adversity. All you get to do is control your attitude and your focus and just work like heck to try and change it. And so it’s such a great life lesson for us, and I think it will turn for us at some point and I think we’ll look back on this stretch as a formative part.

Again, she said this minutes after her team suffered its fourth loss in a row, a loss that dropped the preseason ACC favorites to 3-6. People were calling for her to be fired.

That consistency and commitment to the big picture have clearly served her players well. Because it wasn’t just Lawson whose Feb. 15 press conference sounded eerily similar to her Dec. 4 one.

“We’re in the mud right now, and that’s both physically and literally,” Jackson said after the LSU game. “We’re very uncomfortable right now, which is a good thing, because in March, everybody is on and popping, so the team that is most comfortable with being uncomfortable, they usually succeed.”

And after the North Carolina win? 

“We got out of the mud,” Jackson said. “We all know how we started the season, but that was on purpose. How are you supposed to grow if you’re not used to playing this type of environment?”

Let’s be clear about one thing: Motivational words and self-help philosophies alone do not win games. Duke’s rebirth can be attributed to many things: Mair gaining confidence in a more assertive offensive role; the impressive development of redshirt freshman center Arianna Roberson; Riley Nelson’s move into the starting lineup; a relatively weak year in the ACC, to name a few. And it is far from a given that Duke will win the ACC tournament and make it back to the Elite Eight like it did last March. But after the way this team started the season, the fact that Lawson has them back in contention to achieve those things is a testament to her connection with her players.

“During that time, you know, Coach took a lot for us. It was not Coach. It was simply us. So we just really had to buy in and take accountability at some point. We couldn’t let her hold everything by herself. We had to have her back, because she always has our back,” Jackson said on Sunday.

“There’s not a thing in this world that I don’t love about Kara Lawson, even whenever she’s mad at me. She challenges me, she trusts me, she believes in me.”

Zac Lloyd enters the Silver Slipper far more positive on Hidrix than before the colt’s bow in the Canonbury Stakes.

He hadn’t sat on the Extreme Choice youngster in barrier trials before the debut, acknowledging the Chris Waller operation’s careful early judgments as the horse wasn’t tested rigorously in sessions.

“No-one overwhelmed me with confidence before the race because he’s a very casual customer at trackwork,” Lloyd said.

“But he got a lovely run and that enabled him to sprint well, and he did win quite comfortably.

“Hopefully he has switched on mentally from that and can race well again on Saturday.

“He couldn’t have been more impressive.”

Post his Canonbury Stakes (1100m) victory, Hidrix joined the top of Golden Slipper betting, and he’s next best at $4.40 for the Silver Slipper (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Market leaders at $4 are Tulloch Lodge’s filly Shiki and Canonbury Stakes placegetter Confederation, with James McDonald loyal to the colt after their debut ride where he endured faults to stay competitive.

The Canonbury Stakes saw Michael Freedman runner Incognito as heavy favourite but fifth after palate displacement was identified post-race.

Steps have been taken by Freedman to correct it, and the Breeders’ Plate champ gets tongue control plus lugging bit for the weekend.

Check racing odds for the Silver Slipper Stakes on leading betting sites.

Team USA and Canada will reignite their bitter rivalry on Thursday in the gold medal game in women’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

All eyes will be on the Americans when the puck drops in Milan, Italy, at 1:10 p.m. ET. “Miracle on Ice” star Jim Craig will be among those watching.

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Jim Craig celebrates Team USA’s win over USSR on Feb. 22, 1980.  (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

He shared some advice for the women’s team ahead of the game.

“As the women of Team USA go for gold, remember — the moment isn’t bigger than you. You’ve prepared for this,” he wrote on X. “Trust the work. Trust each other. Compete with heart.

“When you play for the name on the front of the jersey, anything is possible.”

SEN TOMMY TUBERVILLE: BRING BACK THE ‘MIRACLE ON ICE’ SPIRIT TO TEAM USA

United States’ Caroline Harvey (4) shoots during the second period of a women’s ice hockey quarterfinal match between the United States and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.  (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Craig was the netminder for Team USA when the U.S. won gold in the 1980 Winter Olympics, upsetting the Soviet Union and topping Finland for the gold.

It hasn’t been the same strife for the women’s side as they have mostly been in cruise control during the Olympics this time around. The Americans outscored their opponents in group play, 16-1, including a 5-0 victory over Canada on Feb. 10.

In the tournament portion, Team USA has outscored their opponents 11-0.

U.S. players celebrate after a semifinal match of women’s ice hockey between the United States and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.  (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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The U.S. will look to capture gold in a revenge moment from the 2022 Beijing Games. Canada topped the U.S., 3-2, in that game. The U.S. and Canada have squared off in each gold medal game since the 2010 Olympics in Canada.

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With free agency just 18 days away, roughly a dozen Top 50 or Top 100 free agency lists are circulating from various outlets, and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor had been left almost all of them — until now. The Athletic‘s Daniel Popper ranked the league’s best free agents, and out of nowhere, Nailor checked in at No. 29.

A top-30 free agent tag might change the conversation for Nailor, forcing Minnesota to weigh his McCarthy chemistry against price and role.

It’s quite the prestige for Nailor, a player who has never accrued over 500 receiving yards in a season.

Jalen Nailor Gets a Top 30 Free Agent Endorsement

Nailor gets a little respect.

The Athletic: Nailor Is NFL’s 29th-Best FA

Nailor notably outranked reputable NFLers like Rashid Shaheed, Romeo Doubs, Aaron Rodgers, and Keenan Allen in free agency, according to Popper.

He wrote about Nailor at No. 29, “Contract projection: 3 years, $36 million. Nailor’s production does not jump off the screen. The 2022 sixth-round pick had a career-high 444 receiving yards in 2025. But Nailor was playing behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and he dealt with poor quarterback play last season.”

“More importantly, the tape shows a player who is ready to take a big jump in the right environment. Nailor has the spatial awareness to weave through zones and find soft spots. He was predominantly a slot player in Minnesota but has inside-outside flexibility. He flashes late hands to prevent defensive backs from turning and locating the ball.”

The speedy wideout built rapport with Vikings QB1 J.J. McCarthy last season and might’ve even been his favorite target.

Popper added, “Nailor is not a burner, but he can push vertically out of the slot on fades, wheels and corners. He is compact ball carrier who is capable after the catch, and he is also a quality run blocker for his size.”

“Nailor can get bogged down at the line of scrimmage against bigger, more physical corners. He is not a household name right now, but he could be in the future.”

A Staggering Contract Estimate

From Vikings fans’ viewpoint, $12 million per season is the absolute top rung of the ladder someone with Nailor’s production should command. Spotrac estimates his value to be under $5 million. There’s a vast variance between the upper and lower range of Nailor’s next deal, and Hopper pounded home the ceiling.

But last offseason, Los Angeles Rams wideout Tutu Atwell earned a deal for one year and $10 million, so the estimate of Nailor may be merely a continuation of an escalating NFL salary cap. Atwell later caught 6 passes for 192 yards in 2025 and is a free agent once again.

If Nailor’s price is $12 million annually, the Vikings would almost assuredly exit stage left from contract negotiations. Minnesota is cash-strapped, and $12 million for a player who posts WR4 numbers isn’t worth it.

Nailor in MIN

Throughout McCarthy’s first ten starts, Nailor was one of the few receivers with whom he consistently clicked. Their timing has been more reliable than McCarthy’s connection with Justin Jefferson, and a lot of McCarthy’s better plays in 2025 involved throws to Nailor — a big plus for a quarterback still finding his feet.

In 2025, Nailor snagged 29 catches for 444 yards and 4 touchdowns. The year before, with Sam Darnold throwing the ball, he had 414 yards and 6 scores. While his stats might say “WR4,” his game film occasionally shows flashes of something more.

A December game against the Dallas Cowboys is an apropos example: 3 catches, 47 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a serious momentum shift. Nailor exploded. But then he followed that up with zero catches in the next two weeks against the New Giants and Detroit Lions. That’s Nailor in a nutshell — quiet stretches broken up by sudden sweet bursts of production.

This makes him a tricky free agency case. Given the rollercoaster that was McCarthy’s season, keeping some familiar faces around him is key. Letting go of the one receiver who empowered him seems risky.

And Nailor’s likely to get some attention. Speed always plays, and a team might think a bigger role could unlock his true potential. The Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle Seahawks all make sense as possible destinations, based on their roster needs, offensive schemes, or coaching connections. Las Vegas, his hometown, and a team needing playmakers on the depth chart, could be a particularly good fit.

An Eric Wilson Shoutout

Linebacker Eric Wilson, who experienced a career resurgence in 2025, also made Hopper’s list at No. 79.

Hopper scribed, “Contract projection: 3 years, $19.5 million. Wilson is a downhill off-ball linebacker who can blitz and defend the run. He is more limited as a coverage player. He has sideline-to-sideline speed and attacks plays in front of him.”

“Wilson also got some edge work in coordinator Brian Flores’s scheme. Wilson is undersized, which limits him when he is asked to take on climbing guards and centers in the run game.”

The veteran defender posted Pro Bowl-level numbers and efficiency in 2025, and it’s a safe bet that Minnesota will re-sign Wilson, especially with Flores back as the defensive coordinator.

In free agency, it will probably be Nailor out, and Wilson in.

Shivam Dube said guidance from former India captain MS Dhoni helped shape his batting approach after he played a match-winning 67-run knock in the last group-stage match of the T20 World Cup against Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.Dube said he had struggled against pace bowling early in his career, but advice from Dhoni on strike rotation and controlled intent helped him improve in pressure situations.

“When I first came into the IPL, I struggled against fast bowlers and wasn’t striking the ball cleanly. I realised that if I want to dominate at this level and I have the power, I needed to work on that aspect. I put in significant effort during the off-season. Mahi bhai told me that it’s not necessary to hit sixes every time. Boundaries and strike rotation are equally important.“That clarity has helped me. If I get a good ball, I look for a boundary or rotate strike. In the death overs, I will naturally go harder, but early in the innings, my focus is on smart intent,” Dube told Jio Hotstar, as cited by news agency IANS.Speaking about pressure situations, Dube said his focus is on batting according to the match scenario and staying till the end if required.“I don’t feel pressure; I focus on the situation. If wickets fall, my responsibility is to bat deep. If I stay till the end, I know I can add 10–15 crucial runs in the final over. I avoid taking unnecessary risks in the middle overs. If the situation demands stability, I rotate strike. If the platform is set, I’m ready to attack from the first ball,” he said.Dube walked in to bat when India were 69 for 3 after nine overs and stabilised the innings with a 66-run knock off 31 balls.He also contributed with the ball, taking two wickets for 35 runs in three overs. For his all-round performance, he was named player of the match.

The Minnesota Vikings’ Social Justice Committee knows how to endear itself to the Twin Cities communities.

We at PurpleTerritory also know what it’s like to connect with the Twin Cities communities. But the Vikings and their Social Justice Committee have taken it… let’s say… multiple steps further.

In 2025, the Vikings donated a total of a half million, yes, you heard correctly, $500,000, to a total of 18 charities across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and other central Minnesota communities to make sure that people of any color in the Twin Cities region have equal access to all sorts of mental health, physical work, and required living resources.

So, which charities are receiving a donation? And how will this benefit said charities? Let’s highlight a few examples.

Minnesota Vikings Social Justice Committee Makes Huge $500,000 Donation to Charities

One notable topic that has come to light in recent years is the concept of mental health.

As Founder and Executive Director of the Invisible Wounds Project Russ Hanes told Vikings.com, “Mental Health has a stigma in and of itself. And then when you tie in the other factor —– that our people work in careers where sometimes and in some departments, agencies and units it’s not accepted well —– and they really need a safe space to go. It’s not a one-and-done: ‘Here’s a couple bucks; here’s a gift card. Thanks for your service. See you later.’ It really becomes a family, and the family continues to grow and support each other.

We really focus on providing that safe, healthy, positive atmosphere where people can be themselves, learn from each other, help each other and just foster that growth in a way you can’t without a physical space or presence.”

Now, not only does the Invisible Wounds Project align with the Social Justice Committee’s ideals, but it also provides additional resources, such as suicide prevention classes.

A Vikings Player Speaks Up on the Social Justice Committee and Highlights His Charity

This charity was highlighted by outside linebacker Bo Richter. As Richter noted, “It’s absolutely amazing to have these people here fulfilling the need. They explained to us how they provide this sense of community along with the necessary resources… and that community piece [is really unique].”

Thanks to their efforts, Invisible Wounds received a $30,000 donation.

Social Justice Committee and Praise of the Owners

Headed by the owners and brothers Zygi, Mark, and Leonard Wilf, the Vikings have made over $9.5 million in donations to social justice initiatives since the 2018 season. In 2025, the causes the donations supported included mental health, inclusion, food insecurity, and equal access to education, to name a few.

Other Charities & Player Ties

Speaking about food insecurity, running back Zavier Scott enjoyed teaming up with the squad’s Social Justice Committee for his partnership at a local food charity.

“I love the fact we can help out,” he said. “It’s not easy what a lot of people are going through, and we want to lighten the load any way we can.”

After working with food bank Loaves & Fishes to help provide meals, Scott also quipped, “It’s special any time you can sit down and just talk to someone. I think there’s something special about those slower moments. Every person matters. Every individual matters, no matter what their background is, no matter where they’re at in life. Everybody is valued, and I feel that’s a way of showing and honoring that. I like to connect, hear their story and give them some love.”

As a result, Fishes & Loaves received a $25,000 special contribution to their charity.

Other charities receiving donations through the Vikings Social Justice Committee in 2025 were Project Success, the Jeremiah Program, the Khyree Jackson Foundation, Black Men Teach, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities, Elevate Youth Elite Sports, Raise the Barr, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity —– Advancing Black Ownership Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities, Gigi’s Playhouse, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota & the Dakotas, the Great North Innocence Project, Page Innocence Foundation, Shout Out Loud MN, Acres for Life, and Sharing and Caring Hands.

So, the Vikings Social Justice Committee is among the best in the NFL when it comes to charity work. And the owners are receiving high praise for their connections to the Twin Cities communities. It’s something to be very proud of as a Vikings fan.