As conference play in the Big 12 begins, Texas Tech's women's basketball team just made a big midseason addition.
The Red Raiders have signed 7-footer Stephanie Okechukwu, multiple sources familiar with her recruitment confirmed to USA Today. The towering center from Nigeria has a reported 7-foot-4 wingspan. Whether Okechukwu will be eligible to play immediately depends on NCAA approval.
Texas Tech hadn't formally announced Okechukwu joining the team as of Thursday afternoon, butthere is a graphic posted on their websiteof her palming two basketballs. Red Raiders coach Krista Gerlichposted a video to X early Thursday morningwith a caption that says, "Walking into the New Year feeling 7 feet tall!" The video shows Okechukwu walking through an airport.
Should she be approved by the NCAA to play this season, Okechukwu will be the tallest player in the sport, dwarfing a pair of 6-foot-10 centers in Nicole Dominguez of Middle Tennessee State and Abbie Boutilier of Eastern Illinois. Videosposted to her Instagramshow her dunking one-handed with ease.
Multiple sources told USA Today Okechukwu was pursued by several Power 4 programs, including fellow Big 12 member West Virginia. An assistant coach for the Red Raiders traveled to Africa a few weeks ago to close the deal on her recruitment.
Okechukwu is also the latest midseason international acquisition this season by teams in major conferences. Mississippi State has signed French guard Melissa Guillet and South Carolina brought in French center Alicia Tournebize.
Guillet is expected to begin playing for the Bulldogs this month, as long as she can secure a visa, whichhas been a hurdle for international studentsunder the Trump Administration.
"Adding Melissa this late in the year is an awesome opportunity," Mississippi State coach Purcell said in a statement. "She has been playing the game at the highest level, and her international experience will be huge for us as she joins the program and helps us chase championships."
Gamecocks coach Dawn Staleytold the Greenville News this weekshe's optimistic that Tournebize will be able to play this month.
Texas Tech is 15-0 and tied its best start in program history on Wednesday night by defeating visiting UCF 73-55. Ranked No. 23 in the latest USA TODAY Sports college women's basketball poll, this is also the best start to a season for the Red Raiders under Gerlich. She is in her sixth season coaching at her alma mater.
The Red Raiders boast one of the statistically best defenses in college basketball, ranking third nationally in opponent effective field goal percentage (35.7%), fourth in points per play allowed (0.61) and fifth in opponent 3-point shooting percentage (22.7%). Adding an imposing rim protector like Okechukwu could make the Red Raiders even more effective on that end of the floor.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tallest player in women's college basketball to join Texas Tech
Texas Tech's offense had its worst game of the season at the most inopportune time.
The No. 4 Red Raiders averaged fewer than four yards a play and turned the ball over four times ina 23-0 loss to No. 5 Oregon in the Orange Bowlon Thursday. The loss means that teams that have received a first-round bye in the brief history of the 12-teamCollege Football Playoffare now 0-6 as Oregon will play the winner of the Rose Bowl in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9.
Oregon freshman defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. was on the opposite end of three of those turnovers. And his second interception of the day severely damaged any chance of a Texas Tech comeback.
With the Red Raiders trailing 13-0, Finney intercepted Tech QB Behren Morton in the corner of the end zone on third down as the Red Raiders were threatening to cut Oregon's lead to six points. Morton seemingly never saw Finney as he dropped back off the line of scrimmage.
BRANDON FINNEY JR. WITH HIS THIRD TAKEAWAY OF THE DAY 😮💨pic.twitter.com/mdwfukoR1L
— ESPN (@espn)January 1, 2026
The pick was Morton's third turnover of the day. Even when Tech's offense would finally string together productive plays, something would happen for the Red Raiders to stall out.
After Finney's second pick, Atticus Sappington hit a 43-yard field goal to put Oregon up by 16.
The lead could have been so much larger had Oregon's offense not squandered so many opportunities in Texas Tech territory itself. The stellar Red Raiders defense did all it could to keep Tech in the game and stopped Oregon on four of its eight fourth-down attempts.
[Get more Ducks football news: Oregon team feed]
Oregon led just 6-0 at halftime as Texas Tech had a fantastic chance to take the lead at the start of the third quarter after receiving the second-half kickoff. Instead, the Red Raiders gained a grand total of two yards on three plays and punted the ball away to Oregon.
The Ducks extended the lead to 13 points a short time later after Matayo Uiagalelei stripped Morton and caught the ball. Uiagalelei ran 16 yards to the Texas Tech 6-yard line and Jordon Davison scored the first touchdown of the game one play later.
Matayo Uiagalelei deserves more love in the pre-draft process.#GoDuckspic.twitter.com/3FLgK7rO2E
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork)January 1, 2026
Tech got to the Oregon 34-yard line on its next drive, but, in a play that summed up how the whole game unfolded, running back J'Koby Williams lost a yard after taking a direct snap on fourth down when he needed just one yard for a first down.
Tech still had a glimmer of hope after Finney's second interception as its defense quickly forced a three-and-out. But as Oregon punted — and Tech didn't make a concerted effort to block the punt — AJ McCarty lined up offsides. The penalty gave Oregon an automatic first down and helped set up Sappington's field goal.
The Red Raiders didn't have over 200 total yards until there were fewer than five minutes remaining in the game.
Can Texas Tech build another contender?
The Red Raiders were one of the best teams in college football in 2025 thanks to mega-booster Cody Campbell and the astute use of the transfer portal by coach Joey McGuire and his staff.
A defense that was absolutely abysmal in 2024 turned into one of the nation's best with players like David Bailey, Romello Height, Lee Hunter and Cole Wisniewski joining fifth-place Heisman finisher Jacob Rodriguez and others. But many of Tech's key contributors on that side of the ball are either out of eligibility or off to the NFL. Can McGuire's staff quickly identify talent to restock that side of the ball as the portal opens on Friday?
And will Tech go after a transfer portal quarterback? Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby has been linked to the Red Raiders after he announced he was transferring away from the Bearcats. Sorsby was one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 in 2025 as Cincinnati was a midseason contender in the conference before a disastrous November.
Oregon is a win away from its first national title game in 11 years
Oregon hasn't been this close to a national title since making the national championship game in the first year of the four-team College Football Playoff at the end of the 2014 season.
A year ago, the Ducks entered the playoff as the No. 1 seed following an undefeated season and a Big Ten title. Like Texas Tech, that all unraveled in the quarterfinals, as Ohio State steamrolled the Ducks in the Rose Bowl on the way to a national title.
This year, Oregon looks like it can be a a serious threat for the national title. And it may have to avenge its only loss of the season. If Indiana beats Alabama in the Rose Bowl, the Ducks will get another crack at the Hoosiers. Indiana beat Oregon 30-20 in Eugene in October.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Ben Fawkes
Underdogs are on a roll
Oregon closed as a 1-point underdog vs. Texas Tech, which means underdogs are now 5-1 ATS in this year's College Football Playoff with four outright wins.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Final: Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0
The Ducks tacked on another touchdown with just seconds remaining, but the Oregon defense was the story of the game. It forced four turnovers and shut down Texas Tech all game long.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Two minutes left
The Ducks are just burning clock in field goal range now.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Oregon misses FG
Well, something finally went wrong for Oregon, but it likely won't matter. Atticus Sappington just sailed a field goal wide with just under 5 minutes left in the game.
It's still 16-0.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Texas Tech stuffed on fourth down!
Well, that'll just about do it for this one. Behren Morton was just sacked by Oregon's Teitum Tuioti on fourth down deep in Texas Tech's own territory.
Hard not to wonder if this game is effectively over
Texas Tech's most promising drive of the day still took a lot of effort and ended up with no points. Something has to flip quickly for the Red Raider offense.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Texas Tech stuffed on fourth down!
The Red Raiders were facing a fourth-and-1 and opted for a shotgun snap to 5-10, 180-pound J'Koby Williams and the Ducks stopped him cold.
The Red Raiders have finally found something positive offensively and are now over midfield after a couple first downs.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Touchdown Oregon!
The Ducks have finally found the end zone on a short run by Jordon Davison! It's only a two-possession game, but with the way Texas Tech is playing, that feels like a dagger early in the third quarter.
The Ducks may have just made the play of the game. Matayo Uiagalelei just stripped Behren Morton in the backfield and returned it all the way down to the TTU 5-yard line.
The Ducks simply do not have many advantages over the Texas Tech defense. This game could be 20-0 or worse … instead, Texas Tech can still take the lead with a TD.
Of course, the offense would have to move the ball for that to happen.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Oregon stuffed on fourth down AGAIN!
The Ducks went for it on fourth-and-2 again and Dante Moore tried to scramble for the first down but came up just short of the line to gain.
That's another turnover on downs in scoring range for Oregon.
Yahoo Sports Staff
TTU punts it away
The Red Raiders didn't move anywhere on the opening possession and gave it over to Oregon, and Malik Benson returned the punt over midfield.
NEW YORK (AP) — Dylan Guenther had his first career hat trick and added an assist and the Utah Mammoth topped the New York Islanders 7-2 on Thursday.
Nick Schmaltz scored twice and added an assist, Clayton Keller and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and two assists, while Lawson Crouse and Barrett Hayton each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka returned from a two-game absence and finished with 20 saves as the Mammoth snapped a two-game skid.
Cal Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York, and Max Shabanov had two assists. David Rittich made nine saves on 14 shots, but was replaced by Marcus Hogberg 5:41 into the third period.
Guenther scored his second goal of the game when he buried a backhand feed from Crouse to give Utah a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. He also opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the middle period.
The Islanders briefly tied it 1-1 early in the second period when Ritchie fired a wrist shot over the glove of Vejmelka.
Schmaltz beat Rittich with less than four minutes remaining in the second period to extend Utah's lead to two goals.
Mammoth forward Alex Kerfoot took a four-minute high-sticking penalty late in the second, but the Islanders didn't capitalize on the ensuing power play.
Sergachev and Keller scored in the first six minutes of the third period to stretch Utah's lead to 5-1 and prompt the Islanders to change goaltenders.
Guenther completed the hat trick and scored his 20th goal of the season by sliding the puck between the legs of Hogberg with less than seven minutes remaining.
Schaefer scored a power-play goal midway through the third period for his 10th of the season.
Mammoth: visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
Islanders: host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Jan 1 (Reuters) - Starlink will begin a reconfiguration of its satellite constellation by lowering all of its satellites orbiting at around 550 km (342 miles) to 480 km over the course of 2026, Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's vice president of Starlink engineering, said on Thursday.
The company is looking to increase space safety by lowering the satellites' orbit.
This comes after Starlink said in December that one of its satellites experienced an anomaly in space, creating a "small" amount of debris and cutting off communications with the spacecraft at 418 km in altitude, a rare kinetic accident in orbit for the satellite internet giant.
The company had said the satellite, one of nearly 10,000 in space for its broadband internet network, quickly fell four kilometers in altitude, suggesting some kind of explosion occurred on board.
"Lowering the satellites results in condensing Starlink orbits, and will increase space safety in several ways," Nicolls said in a post on social media platform X, adding "the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500 km, reducing the aggregate likelihood of collision."
The number of spacecraft in Earth's orbit has jumped sharply in recent years as companies and countries race to deploy tens of thousands of satellites for internet constellations and other space-based services such as communications and Earth imagery.
SpaceX, long known for its rocket launch business, has become the world's largest satellite operator through Starlink, a network of nearly 10,000 satellites beaming broadband internet to consumers, governments and enterprise customers.
(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese)
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Former Brazilian PresidentJair Bolsonaroleft a hospital in capital Brasilia on Thursday, a week after he underwent a double hernia surgery. A car took the embattled ex-leader back to the federal police headquarters where he is serving his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup d'etat aimed at keeping him in office.
Hospital DF Star confirmed Bolsonaro was released after some other minor medical procedures after the double hernia surgery that was completed without complications.
Brazil's Supreme Court approved the release of the former president, who governed from 2019 to 2022, for the surgery.
Supreme Court JusticeAlexandre de Moraes, who sentenced Bolsonaro to prison, denied the former president's request for house arrest after he leaves the hospital.
Bolsonaro has undergone several other medical procedures since he was stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign rally in 2018.
Bolsonaro has no contact with the few other inmates at the federal police headquarters in Brasilia, where he is held and where his 12-square-meter (around 130-square-foot) room has a bed, a private bathroom, air conditioning, a television and a desk.
In December, Bolsonaro shook Brazilian politics again by appointing his eldest son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, to become his political party'spresidential candidate in next year's election, challenging incumbentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Neither Flávio Bolsonaro nor former first-lady Michelle Bolsonaro made comments about the former leader returning to prison after his hospitalization.
Michelle Bolsonaro said in her social media channels that "there is a Brazil of good people which loves you and prays for you."
"We will beat the bad days," she wrote.
Bolsonaro and several of his allieswere convicted in Septemberby a panel of Supreme Court justices of attempting to overthrow Brazil's democratic system following his 2022 election defeat.
The plot included plans to kill Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and de Moraes. There was also a plan to encourage an insurrection in early 2023.
Bolsonaro was also convicted on charges that include leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Follow the AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean athttps://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Venezuelan security forces have detained at least five Americans in recent months as the US has built a pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a US official familiar with the matter told CNN.
The circumstances of the individual cases vary, and some could have been involved in drug smuggling, the official said. US officials are still collecting information about what the Americans were doing in Venezuela and at the time of their detention, the official added.
Trump administration officials believe that the Maduro regime is detaining the Americans to build leverage against the US, the official said, as the pressure campaign against the Venezuelan leader — including the US strikes on drug boats, a CIA strike on Venezuelan port facility and recent oil blockade — has intensified in recent months.
The tactic mirrors that of Russia, Venezuela's longtime ally, which has detained numerous Americans on Russian soil in recent years to use as leverage in Moscow's tense relations with the US.
The New York Times was first to report on the recently detained Americans.
The State Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Trump administration officials have resisted saying that they are actively seeking regime change in Venezuela but have accused Maduro of being illegitimate and a narco-trafficker. The administration has been increasing pressure on Maduro, including the "blockade" of sanctioned oil vessels and other financial tactics.
In December the State Department announced two sets of sanctions against Maduro's family members, targeting three of Maduro's nephews, his sister-in-law and other relatives.
Also in December, the US conducted its first strike on a land target in Venezuela, hitting a port facility in a CIA drone strike, CNN reported.
"It is clear that the current status quo with the current Venezuelan regime is intolerable for the United States," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a December press conference when asked about comments from the White House chief of staff that Trump "wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle."
Venezuela holds hundreds of people as political prisoners,accordingto human rights activists, some of whom were detained in the aftermath of a 2024 election in which Maduro claimed victory but thatindependent observerssaid was undemocratic.
Dozens of people were released from a Venezuelan prison on Thursday, Venezuelan rights groups said.
None of them are American, according to Alfredo Romero, the head of rights group Foro Penal.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
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Victor Wembanyamaand theSan Antonio Spursreceived positive news on Jan. 1.
The Spurs starsuffered a leg injuryduring the134-132victory over theNew York Knickson Dec. 31.
Wembanyama's MRI came back clean with no sign of ligament damage,according to ESPN.
Wembanyama did not travel with the team and is not expected to play against theIndiana PacersonFriday, Jan. 2. He will remain in San Antonio for additional care. The Frenchman is considered questionable for Saturday's home game against thePortland Trail Blazers.
He told reporters after the game on Wednesday that he hyperextended his knee and initially expected to play in the team's next game.
Wembanyama had jumped in an attempt to collect an offensive rebound before coming down awkwardly after he landed on the foot of Knicks center Karl Anthony-Towns. Wembanyama was slow to get off the court, limping back to the locker room.
POWER RANKINGS:A new No. 1 unseats OKC Thunder
Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents
Victor Wembanyama stats
Wembanyama produced 31 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes of play against the Knicks. He's averaging 24.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season.
When do Spurs play next?
The Spurs will visit theIndiana Pacerson Friday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Spurs receive positive news after Victor Wembanyama injury
Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
