USA Hockey has called on the International Ice Hockey Federation to reconsider its decision to cancel the U18 Women’s World Championship.

The event was scheduled to take place in Sweden in January before the IIHF canceled all events next month based on a recommendation from the organization’s medical committee regarding COVID-19. That decision received swift backlash, with many pointing out it was the second year in a row that the IIHF had canceled the tournament. Meanwhile, Men’s World Juniors is taking place and has only had games cancelled due to COVID-19 issues.

“I believe the IIHF is trying to do what they can to make sure that if they run events they are as safe as possible for every participant,” USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher said Monday. “However, we have requested they look at the U-18s specifically and see what they can do to at least postpone it and explore options with the countries that are involved with that event.”

Kelleher went on to call it “a critical event for the future of women’s hockey” while also recognizing that the IIHF is currently facing what he calls “challenging situations all the way around.”

“We certainly hope there’s ways for people to continue to look for solutions to some of these issues down the road,” he said.

In a statement, IIHF president Luc Tardif said the cancellations are “not a gender issue.”

IIHF President Luc Tardif sat down with https://t.co/ldDBa42X8a to discuss the January tournament cancellations, including the questions over the cancellation of the U18 #WomensWorldshttps://t.co/aJH8X1R4zL pic.twitter.com/sLv6qsffuS

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 29, 2021

“I would ask in turn how is it fair to postpone all the time the top divisions and always to simply cancel the lower divisions? These cancellations have affected six tournaments, not just one, including two men’s U20 events that critics seem to conveniently forget,” Tardif said, adding that there is an economic incentive to hosting the men’s World Juniors tournament.

“People misunderstand that this is because we favour men’s hockey over women’s, which is completely false,” he continued. The revenue generated from Men’s World Championships and World Juniors, Tardif said, helps to support the other IIHF World Championship events.

He added that rescheduling the event is a possibility, but Sweden would have to give up its hosting rights and a new host would need to emerge.

“We look forward to having constructive discussions with them to see whether there might be such a possibility,” Tardif said. “But first we need a host that is willing to take this on, and dates that work for all teams.”

The Ontario Women’s Hockey Association has expressed interest in hosting the event. Hockey Canada president Tom Renney told The Toronto Star that the organization had also asked the IIHF to consider postponement rather than cancellation.

OWHA would be pleased to step up to host the U18 Women's World Championship to ensure the players are supported. We commit to working with @IIHFHockey @HockeyCanada and Federations on timing and safety. https://t.co/nn9J6EIrHO

— Ontario Womens Hockey (@OWHAhockey) December 25, 2021

One of the newest WNBA teams stepped out this week, as the Toronto Tempo unveiled their debut jerseys Tuesday ahead of their inaugural 2026 season.

"Today marks another meaningful milestone on our journey to bringing Canada's first WNBA team to life," Toronto CMO Whitney Bell said in Tuesday's release. "Every detail of these uniforms is intentional."

The designs feature the team's signature Borealis Blue and Tempo Bordeaux colors, with six speed lines down the sides mirroring the Tempo's logo.

"We've created a design that brings our brand to life and represents our city, our fans, and our team," said Bell. "We cannot wait for our players — and our fans — to wear them with pride."

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While the WNBA expects that Toronto will hit the court next season alongside fellow incoming franchise the Portland Fire, stagnant CBA negotiations have delayed both expansion drafts.

In the meantime, the teams are moving forward with staff hirings and the development of on- and off-court identities as they wait to build out their rosters.

How to purchase the inaugural Toronto Tempo jerseys

While there is no release date yet for the team's "Heroine" jersey, the Toronto Tempo's "Explorer" jersey will be available for purchase beginning in January.

Fans looking to snag a jersey can sign up to receive the latest drop dates at TorontoTempo.com.

Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka has done it again, with the world No. 1 taking home the WTA Player of the Year award for a second straight season on Monday — becoming just the seventh woman to earn the honor back-to-back.

Sabalenka won Player of the Year in dominant fashion, garnering nearly 80% of the media vote after leading the 2025 WTA Tour in wins, titles, and finals appearances — all while racking up a record $15 million in prize money.

The 27-year-old spent the entire year as the sport's No. 1 player, all while reaching three of the four Grand Slam finals en route to winning the 2025 US Open.

After an elite season, US rising star Amanda Anisimova won the WTA Most Improved Player honor for reaching a career-first two Grand Slam finals while jumping from No. 34 to No. 4 in the rankings.

Following her own breakout 2025 campaign, 19-year-old Canadian talent No. 18 Vicky Mboko took home Newcomer of the Year, with Swiss No. 11 Belinda Bencic earning Comeback Player of the Year after returning from pregnancy in stellar form.

The world's top duo of Czechia's Katerina Siniakova and US standout Taylor Townsend also capped their 2025 season with hardware, earning the sport's Doubles Team of the Year.

The UWCL's first-ever league phase wraps on Wednesday, when all 18 2025/26 Champions League clubs will square off in a simultaneous afternoon kick-off finale.

Top finishers No. 1 Barcelona and No. 2 OL Lyonnes already secured automatic spots in the quarterfinals, with similarly unbeaten No. 3 Chelsea looking to claim their spot with a result on Wednesday.

The fourth guaranteed pathway will be tougher fight, however, as just three points separate No. 4 Juventus and No. 11 Atletico Madrid on the Champions League table.

While the top four teams will advance directly into the March quarterfinals, clubs finishing fifth through 12th will instead move on to the European competition's first-ever knockout playoffs in February to determine the final quartet of quarterfinalists.

No. 4 Bayern Munich, No. 5 Real Madrid, No. 6 Juventus, No. 7 Wolfsburg, No. 8 Arsenal, No. 9 Manchester United, and No. 10 Paris FC have all netted enough points to at least make the playoffs, leave three teams — Atlético de Madrid, No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven, and No. 13 Vålerenga — battling the final two spots.

Amid Wednesday's high-stakes matchups, Wolfsburg will look to break into the upper ranks against Chelsea, Juventus will try to hold off Manchester United, and 2024/25 champs Arsenal will shoot for a result against Oud-Heverlee Leuven.

How to watch Wednesday's 2025/26 Champions League action

Wednesday's final UWCL league-phase matches will be cutthroat battles for tournament seeding.

The action kicks off at 3 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.

The stars of last summer's Euro ruled the 2025 FIFA Best Awards on Tuesday, as international players for world No. 1 Spain and No. 4 England shut out the competition at the annual ceremony in Qatar.

Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won her third straight Best Women's Player of the Year award, after finishing as a runner up at both the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League and this year's Euros.

"I'm grateful to have the award, it's for all the players all the coaches and the fans, thanks very much," Bonmatí told the crowd, as the reigning three-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to recover from a broken leg.

The 2025 Euro tournament also influenced the 2025 FIFA Women's Best XI, with the lineup exclusively featuring Spain and England standouts.

Joining Bonmatí on the FIFA roster were Spain teammates Irene Paredes, Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, Clàudia Pina, Mariona Caldentey, and Alexia Putellas, with Euro champion Lionesses Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson, Alessia Russo, and Hannah Hampton rounding out the field.

Hampton also picked up Goalkeeper of the Year honors, with England boss Sarina Wiegman snagging the 2025 Coach of the Year award.

Months after a controversial 2025 Ballon d'Or ballot, FIFA took a similarly narrow Euro-centric view of success at the individual level for this year's Best Awards.