US skier Lauren Macuga shows off her 'weird dance moves' to celebrate bronze in worlds debut

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — First major championship. First event. First medal.

Lauren Macuga certainly didn’t waste any time making an impact at the Alpine skiing world championships.

The 22-year-old American earned bronze in super-G on Thursday and quickly celebrated with a little dance in the finish area, rocking her arms up and down before bowing to the Austrian crowd.

Dancing celebrations have become a thing in skiing this season since Lucas Pinheiro Braathen performed a snow samba to celebrate Brazil’s first podium in December.

“Well, I couldn’t pull that off. I don’t have his dancing skills. But I do like weird dance moves,” Macuga said. “I was hoping to be on the podium today, but I wasn’t expecting it. So I was like, ‘OK, I got to do something here.’”

Known for her colorful bucket hats and American-flag patterned pants and shirts, the outgoing Macuga — pronounced Mah-SUE-guh — is quickly becoming a fan favorite.

“It’s so important to show the fun side of skiing,” she said. “I know when to turn on the fun and kind of dial it back to be more serious.”

Macuga was the fastest skier on the top section of the Ulli Maier course, flying nearly 30 yards (27 meters) off a jump 30 seconds into her run and clocking 76 mph (122 kph) before holding on to tie for third with Kajsa Vickhoff Lie of Norway, 0.24 seconds behind race winner Stephanie Venier of Austria.

“I felt like I was going fast. I came off that jump, I was like, ‘I’m flying, my gosh, you better keep moving,’” Macuga said.

It was just the start of a big day in the Macuga family, where all four siblings — three sisters and a brother — are accomplished skiers on U.S. teams.

Alli Macuga was competing in a moguls competitions later back home in Utah; Sam Macuga was ski jumping in Lake Placid, New York; and Daniel was in the middle of a Nor-Am Alpine skiing competition in Kimberley, British Columbia.

Amy and Dan, the Macugas' parents, were doing their best to keep tabs on everyone.

Amy was cheering on Lauren in Austria while Dan was with Alli in Deer Valley.

“We’re kind of all over the place right now,” Lauren said. “Have to split up. Divide and conquer.”

All of the siblings hope to be in the same country a year from now and competing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Thursday marked exactly one year before the Feb. 6, 2026, opening ceremony.

Still in the middle of her breakout season, Lauren doesn’t have a sponsor on her helmet like most of the top skiers do. Instead, she’s been racing with a question mark printed on her headgear.

“I’m trying to get a sponsor that wants a crazy person that loves bucket hats,” she said.

The playfulness on the ski circuit brings to mind the way Julia Mancuso, another American great who won Olympic gold and multiple world championship medals, used to celebrate by putting on a tiara.

Lauren won a super-G in St. Anton, Austria, last month for her first World Cup victory and now she’s done something that not even Lindsey Vonn or Mikaela Shiffrin did: win a medal in their first race at their first major championship.

Vonn’s debut at the biggest competition outside of the Olympics came in 2005 when she finished ninth in the super-G, before going on to claim two fourth-place finishes that year. Shiffrin finished sixth in the giant slalom in her debut in 2013 and then went on to win gold in slalom two days later at the age of 17.

Vonn was on hand to celebrate Macuga’s achievement in a race where the 40-year-old American great got hooked on a gate early in her run.

“She’s a really free-spirited person and she’s got her own style — and I love it,” Vonn said. “She’s very authentic to herself and she believes in herself and she works really, really hard. So she deserves it. And she’s just an amazing talent. … This is just the beginning for her.

“All of her siblings are insane athletes,” Vonn added. “Something must run in the family.”

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

United States' Lauren Macuga, left, and Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie show their joint bronze medals in a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

United States' Lauren Macuga, left, and Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie show their joint bronze medal in a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

United States' Lauren Macuga celebrates moments before being given a bronze medal for a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

United States' Lauren Macuga, top, celebrates on the podium with the team, including United States' Lindsey Vonn, bottom right, after taking joint third place in a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

United States' Lauren Macuga celebrates at the finish area of a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie celebrates on the podium after taking joint third place with United States' Lauren Macuga, right, in a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

United States' Lauren Macuga speeds down the course during a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

United States' Lindsey Vonn, left, shares a light moment with United States' Lauren Macuga, third-placed in a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

United States' Lauren Macuga celebrates at the finish area of a women's Super-G, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.

Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.

Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.

“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”

Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.

“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”

The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.

Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.

With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.

Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.

The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."

The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.

Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.

“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”

This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)