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Three Paralympians pushing the boundary of what’s possible

Oksana Masters (David Berding/Getty Images)

The 2020 Summer Paralympics begin on Tuesday, Aug. 24 in Tokyo. 

If what enthralls us about the Olympics is the display of superhuman feats, what the Paralympics offer are the most deeply human feats. Succeeding in the face of obstacles and limitations, whether visible on our bodies or not, is perhaps our most universal of human pursuits. And it’s because of this that the achievements of every Paralympian have the potential to strike a chord deep within each of us. 

While each is a champion in their own way, these are three Paralympians we’re especially excited to see compete in Tokyo. 

Oksana Masters: Cycling, Cross Country Skiing, Biathlon, and Rowing

Oksana Masters was born in the Ukraine in 1989 with several birth defects to her limbs as a result of in-utero radiation exposure from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster. Her left leg was six inches shorter than her right and both were missing critical bones for weight bearing. She had six toes on each foot, five webbed fingers on each hand and no thumbs. Due to the extensive medical care she required, her birth mother relinquished her for adoption.

Masters spent seven and a half years in three different orphanages before being adopted in 1996 by Gay Masters. An American speech pathologist, Gay spent two years in a bureaucratic adoption battle with the Ukrainian government after a black-and-white photo of Masters from her adoption agent convinced her that the little being looking back at her was meant to be her daughter. The first several years of Master’s American life were filled with surgeries to give her more mobility in her hands. Eventually, both of her legs were amputated.

At age 13, after struggling to fit in with her school’s main sports teams, Masters reluctantly attended an adaptive rowing practice and quickly fell in love with the sport. A decade later, she won her first Paralympic medal, taking bronze at the 2012 London Games in the mixed rowing competition (trunk and arm doubles sculls) with partner Rob Jones.

After this first taste of Paralympic glory, Masters realized her strength and skill could be applied to other sports that targeted the same muscle groups, such as adaptive cross-country skiing and biathlon. She spent just 14 short months learning to ski and shoot. Masters then not only qualified for the 2014 Sochi Games (in six events) but became a Winter Paralympic medalist, wining silver in the 12km and bronze in the 5km cross-country skiing competitions.

A back injury prevented Masters from returning to rowing after Sochi, so she decided to try hand cycling as a way to cross-train for skiing. By the time the Rio Paralympics came around, she was so skilled at her “offseason” sport that she qualified for the Paralympic cycling team, but fell just short of the podium in her two Rio races.

Two years later at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, Masters’ cache of Paralympic medals more than doubled. She won gold in the 1.5km and 5km cross-country skiing events and bronze in the 12km. And this time, she added two biathlon silver medals (6km and 12.5km).

Coming into Tokyo, Masters is an eight-time Paralympic medalist across three different sports spanning both the Summer and Winter Games. She has qualified for every Summer and Winter Olympics since 2012, and after a fourth- and fifth-place finish in cycling at Rio in 2016, she is more determined than ever to add a Paralympic medal in what would be her fourth sport. A more versatile, accomplished and inspiring athlete is hard to imagine.

Rose Hollermann: Wheelchair Basketball

Rose Hollermann is by all accounts the best player on the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team and possibly in the entire women’s game. At age five, the Minnesota native suffered spinal cord damage that left her mostly paralyzed from the waist down after a tragic car accident that also took the lives of two of her older brothers. In the years following the accident, as she progressed in her recovery, Hollermann tried out a wide variety of adaptive sports, but her natural skill and passion for wheelchair basketball was apparent from the start.

By the time she was thirteen, Hollermann was a junior national champion. At age fifteen, she became the youngest player to ever make the senior national team, winning gold at the 2011 Parapan American Games that same year. After finishing in the dreaded fourth spot at the 2012 London Games, the team reached the top spot in Rio in 2016, giving Hollermann, still the youngest player on the team, her first Paralympic gold medal.

Upon high school graduation, Hollermann received a full athletic scholarship to the The University of Texas at Arlington to play on its wheelchair basketball team. Hollermann led the Movin’ Mavs to three national championship appearances and two national titles.

After graduating from UTA in 2019, Hollermann realized a lifelong dream by moving overseas to the Canary Islands. She signed with the Gran Canaria professional wheelchair basketball team that plays in the Division de Honour league in Spain. Playing in a league that is 95 percent male has given Hollermann valuable experience and confidence as she heads into Tokyo to help Team USA defend its gold medal.

Asya Miller: Goalball

Asya Miller, a 41-year-old Michigan native, will compete in her sixth consecutive Paralympic Games as a member of the U.S. women’s goalball team. Designed for visually impaired athletes, goalball is played on an indoor court roughly 20 yards long and 10 yards wide. Three players from each team play at a time. A three-pound ball with bells inside is thrown from one team’s half of the court to the other in an attempt to get it past the three opponents and into the court-wide goal just past the baseline. The athletes play on hands and knees, referencing taped lines and markers to orient their positioning. All players wear blackout sport goggles to equalize the broad spectrum of visual impairment among athletes.

Miller, who has an eye condition called Stargardt’s Disease and 20/200 vision at best with contacts in, was first introduced to goalball while an undergrad at Western Michigan University. In her first Paralympics in Sydney in 2000, she was a dual-sport athlete and earned a bronze medal for Team USA in the discus. Though her first passion was track and field, goalball offered a level of physicality, teamwork and strategy that other adaptive sports did not. One unique aspect of goalball is that novice spectators are often a nuisance. With players relying solely on sound to track the ball’s location, it’s crucial that the crowd remains silent during active play. 

“With Tokyo having limited spectators, we are probably the only sport who is excited about that,” Miller bemused in a recent interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting.

There are not many boxes she has left to check off her Paralympic bucket list, having already won a bronze (2016), silver (2004) and gold (2008) in goalball over the course of her decorated career. Now in her early forties, Miller has indicated this will be her final Games, giving her one last chance to go out in golden glory.

UEFA Draw Sets Champions League Quarterfinals

The UEFA Champions League trophy sits on display before the 2024/25 quarterfinals draw.
Eight teams' paths to May's Champions League final in Lisbon were determined in Friday's draw. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals are officially set, with UEFA drawing the remaining eight teams into the field early Friday morning.

The annual season-long competition pits Europe's top leagues against each other. This season, 72 clubs across 50 different leagues qualified for the contest. From the UK to Ukraine, all teams have been vying for the continent's top-dog status amidst a cutthroat atmosphere and a growing sense of parity in the sport.

Two qualifying rounds narrowed the initial teams down to the 16 contending in the tournament's official group stage. Each played six group-stage matches from October through December to determine the eight clubs that advanced to Friday's final draw.

A screen shows the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal pairings at Friday's draw.
Four previous champions made the 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The road to Champions League glory in Lisbon

All remaining clubs are now eyeing the May 24th final in Lisbon, Portugal, and Friday's draw mapped each team's path to that championship match. The 2024/25 quarterfinals will feature four former champions and four seeking a first-ever trophy, with both familiar fights and rarely tested toss-ups on deck.

Both the March quarterfinals and April semifinals employ a two-leg format, offering teams who suffer narrow first losses a shot at second-match redemption.

Friday's draw determined that WSL contenders Arsenal will kick off the tournament's quarterfinals against Real Madrid on March 18th, with Germany's Bayern Munich taking on France's 2024 UWCL runners-up Olympique Lyonnais shortly afterwards.

The following day, Bayern's Frauen-Bundesliga foes Wolfsburg will face Spain's 2024 UWCL champs FC Barcelona. Closing out the initial tilts is a WSL standoff between Manchester City and the UK league's undefeated titans Chelsea FC.

Lyon's Michele Kang, president of the winningest Champions League team in history, speaks to the media after Friday's UEFA draw.
Backed by club president Michele Kang, Lyon will seek its record ninth UWCL title this year. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Increased global parity to test UWCL dynasties

With eight of the tournament's 23 titles under their belts, Lyon is the winningest team in UWCL history. Meanwhile, current back-to-back champions Barcelona claimed three of the last four trophies.

Despite the recent two-team domination, capturing this season's title will be a challenge. Hoping to spoil Lyon's and Barcelona's dynastic runs is four first-time title-hunters, plus two-time winners Wolfsburg and early champion Arsenal — who won the trophy in 2007, when the tournament was called the UEFA Women's Cup.

All in all, the European crown has never been tougher to claim, with leagues across the continent increasingly stocking up on standout — and potentially game-changing — players from beyond their borders.

Portland Announces Joint NWSL x WNBA Training Center

A rendering of the outside of the proposed NWSL x WNBA performance complex in Portland.
The Portland facility will be the first shared WNBA-NWSL performance complex under the same ownership. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland is going all in on women's sports, with RAJ Sports — the ownership group behind both the NWSL's Thorns and Portland's incoming WNBA team — announcing the development of a new $150 million sports performance complex on Thursday.

The 12-acre dual-sport performance center will be the first-ever facility housing both a pro women's soccer squad and a pro women's basketball team.

Innovation and amenities lead Portland design

At 63,000 square feet, the incoming NWSL x WNBA training facility will feature two basketball courts, two soccer pitches, a 17,000-square-foot practice gym, a state-of-the-art strength training facility, and a laundry list of additional top-of-the-line amenities.

According to the Thorns' announcement, the center aims to "[elevate] the standard of athletic development by integrating cutting-edge training, advanced recovery, and holistic wellness with lifestyle elements specific to the needs of female athletes in a collaborative multi-team setting."

The wellness additions include recovery lounges and pools, hyperbaric therapy, red-light therapy, and a yoga and pilates room, plus access to a full-time chef and nutritionist via the center's kitchen and dining hall.

"This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes," said Thorns forward Sophia Wilson (née Smith).

"Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes."

A rendering of the basketball court in the proposed Portland performance complex.
The WNBA and NWSL performance complex adds Portland to a growing list of women's sports facilities. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland joins other WNBA and NWSL teams building own facilities

Portland is just the latest in a wave of women's teams across top-tier US leagues breaking ground on dedicated performance facilities.

Earlier this week, WNBA newcomer Golden State unveiled their own custom-built Valkyries Performance Center. Last month, NWSL side Angel City cut the ribbon on their dedicated training facility.

RAJ Sports’ effort to continue the investment trend comes barely a year after their January 2024 purchase of the Thorns. That move was finalized a little over eight months before the WNBA accepted their expansion bid, making the Bhathal family — who also have a stake in the NBA's Sacramento Kings — the first-ever ownership group to oversee pro women's teams in two different sports.

Las Vegas Aces Revamp Roster with Offseason Moves

Las Vegas Aces standouts Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes race downcourt during a 2024 game.
Both Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes are departing Las Vegas this season. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

WNBA roster shakeups kept rolling this week, with a deluge of moves radically reshaping the 2022 and 2023 league champion Las Vegas Aces.

After three seasons in Las Vegas, backup guard and popular locker room presence Sydney Colson signed a one-year deal with Indiana on Thursday. The Fever, who've been aggressive about inking athletes they believe will bring a title back to Indianapolis, targeted Colson for her veteran experience.

"[Colson] brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position, said Fever COO and GM Amber Cox in the team's announcement. "We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor."

Joining Colson in leaving Las Vegas is forward Alysha Clark. A key factor in the Aces' 2023 title run — which ultimately earned her the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award — Clark is returning to the Seattle Storm, where she played from 2012 to 2020.

The Aces are also losing their 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year, Tiffany Hayes. Despite the Aces protecting her in December's expansion draft, the free agent guard will take her talents to incoming franchise Golden State. There, she'll link up with former Las Vegas assistant coach-turned-Valkyries boss Natalie Nakase.

"Having coached Tiffany last season in Las Vegas, I know firsthand the impact she brings both on and off the court," Nakase noted. "Her versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team's identity."

Atlanta's Cheyenne Parker-Tyus guards Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson during a 2024 WNBA game.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus will join A'ja Wilson in the Aces' front court this season. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Las Vegas Aces take aim at refreshed dynasty

After falling short of a three-peat championship last season — despite three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's outstanding 2024 performance — a significant Aces roster reshuffling was all but guaranteed ahead of the 2025 season.

Las Vegas kicked things off by shipping All-Star guard Kelsey Plum off to the LA Sparks last month. The blockbuster three-team trade sent Seattle's two-time champ Jewell Loyd to the Aces in return.

To shore up their front-court, Las Vegas inked 6-foot-4 power forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus on Thursday. The 2023 All-Star averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds for Atlanta that season, and was on her way to matching that production last year when an ankle injury curbed her 2024 run.

Ultimately, Las Vegas's roller coaster offseason reflects both the WNBA's shifting landscape and the Aces' quest to revive their former dynasty, hoping a fresh start can fuel them all the way to another league title in 2025.

Tennessee Upsets NCAA Rival UConn in Vols’ First Top 10 Win

Tennessee basketball players Jewel Spear and Zee Spearman celebrate their 80-76 upset win over UConn.
Tennessee scored their first win over UConn since 2007. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

No. 19 Tennessee notched the first major win of their Kim Caldwell era on Thursday night, stifling No. 5 UConn 80-76 to capture their first Top 10 basketball victory of the season — and first win over the Huskies since 2007.

Bolstered by a 13-0 run in the third quarter, Tennessee out-rebounded UConn 46-34 to hold the Huskies at bay.

On defense, the Vols managed to limit UConn star and projected 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers to just 5-of-16 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc.

"We had poise down the stretch. I think we played with confidence. I think we played to win, as opposed to afraid to lose," commented first-year Tennessee head coach Caldwell after the game.

Tennessee flips the historic rivalry script against UConn

Once one of the most heated historic rivalries in NCAA basketball, Tennessee and UConn met 22 times from 1995 to 2007. The Huskies took 13 victories over that stretch.

Since the teams rebooted their non-conference series in 2020, UConn has taken the win in all four meetings — until Tennessee halted the Huskies on Thursday.

A big upset win from the Vols has felt increasingly inevitable this season, as Tennessee has come wildly close to claiming multiple top-tier upsets. They fell to No. 4 Texas by just four points, No. 6 LSU by two points, and logged one-point losses against both No. 15 Oklahoma and No. 24 Vanderbilt.

Last week, the Vols lost to No. 2 South Carolina 70-63. Subsequently, Tennessee became just the second team to limit the reigning NCAA champs to a single-digit win this season.

Despite Tennessee’s recent rise, Thursday's result was a blow to UConn. The Huskies are now 21-3 in 2024/25 play, with all three losses coming against Top 10 teams. UConn likely has just one regular-season Top 10 matchup left by way of a February 16th clash with South Carolina.

"The bottom line is we have some players on our team that are supposed to be our best players and they've got to play better. That's all there is to it," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma in response.

South Carolina's Bree Hall defends Texas guard Madison Booker during a 2024 NCAA basketball game.
Texas and South Carolina will meet in a Top-4 matchup on Sunday. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball this weekend

As tough as the SEC has been, there's little rest for the weary, with No. 19 Tennessee gearing up for a rematch with No. 6 LSU at 4 PM ET on Sunday. Live coverage will air on ESPN.

In Top 10 weekend action, No. 8 Ohio State will cap their West Coast trip against No. 7 USC at 9 PM ET on Saturday, live on Fox Sports.

Then on Sunday, No. 4 Texas will host No. 2 South Carolina at 2 PM ET, with ESPN broadcasting live.

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