Favored or not, U.S. women seek to prove their potential on the ice as Olympic hockey play begins

MILAN (AP) — As talented and deep as the Americans appear to be, coach John Wroblewski wasn’t ready to accept his team being considered the favorite a day before the women’s hockey tournament opens at the Milan Cortina Games.

After initially sidestepping the question following practice on Wednesday, Wroblewski reflected more on the lows — rather than the highs — the U.S. has endured in the four years since he took over.

“You say we’re favorites. What if you would have asked this in February of 2024?” he said, referring to the U.S. losing a seven-game Rivalry Series of exhibition games to Canada. The Americans lost the final four games by a combined margin of 16-5.

“I mean, Canada was cleaning us up in Rivalry. We weren’t even getting the puck,” Wroblewski said. “I remember those bruises and those scars. And I’m sure you’ve got Hilary (Knight) and Megan (Keller), Alex (Carpenter) in particular, they were in those games and it’s not much fun to be in those games.”

True enough.

The two nations are 2-2 in world championship tournaments since Canada won its fifth gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Games.

And though Canada holds the edge in winning three of the past four Rivalry Series, what’s difficult to overlook is how dominating the Americans appeared in overwhelming their cross-border rivals in their most recent meetings spanning November and December.

The U.S. swept all four games by a combined score of 24-7. That included a 10-4 win in Game 3, which marked the most goals the Canadian women have ever allowed in international play.

Though the exhibition series generally isn't an indicator on how the two global powers fare in international competition, the sweep raised eyebrows over a potential shift in power favoring the Americans.

“I don’t know. You tell me?” said U.S. captain Hilary Knight, who will be making her fifth and potentially final Olympic appearance. “It’s a clean slate every time you get to a tournament. You have to work hard.”

The U.S. opens Group A play facing Czechia on Thursday in a four-game preliminary round schedule that closes with a showdown against Canada on Tuesday. And it’s more than likely the two nations will meet yet again in the gold-medal match on Feb. 18.

Led by captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Canada returns 16 player from the team that set numerous scoring records and finished 7-0 in dominating the 2022 Beijing Games. The U.S. roster, by comparison, has been transformed by a youth movement. Only 11 of 23 return from 2022 on a team featuring seven players yet to complete their college careers.

Canada coach Troy Ryan is impressed, referring to the U.S. roster as featuring one of the best young cores he’s ever seen.

But he’s not ready to give way to perception or prognosis, while acknowledging his team was not pleased with how it performed in the latest Rivalry Series.

“Joking with our team, I said, `No one put a parade together for the first three Rivalry Series wins, so I’m not going to hang myself on a Rivalry Series loss,’” Ryan said.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, I think Denmark, Utica (New York), Brampton (Ontario), and Czechia, I think we were not favored,” he added, referring to the sites of the past four world championships. “So it just feels normal.”

The U.S. has won six straight meetings against the Canadians, dating to preliminary-round and gold-medal wins at the world championships in April.

“I don’t mind being the underdog. But we don’t really see ourselves as that,” Canadian forward Brianne Jenner said. “We know what the expectations are for our country. But you know what, we’re fine with whatever story people want to tell about us. We’re ready to prove ourselves the next two weeks.”

The Czechs and Finland might also have a say in the matter. The two have split bronze over the past four world championships, with Czechia winning in 2022 and '23, followed by Finland winning the past two.

“It has allowed our confidence to grow. And with confidence comes hunger. So I think we’re a hungry group,” Czechia coach Carla MacLeod said of a team that only made its Olympic debut in 2022. “It’s only our second Olympics. But certainly there’s a belief in the room that we can go play our best games and see where it takes us.”

Switzerland rounds out Group A.

Sweden is considered the favorite to win Group B, which also features Japan, Germany, Italy and France, which is making its Olympic debut.

AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Montreal Victoire's Marie-Philip Poulin (29) reacts after scoring against the Toronto Sceptres during the second period of an PWHL hockey game in Laval, Quebec, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

FILE- United States forward Hilary Knight (21) and Canada forward Marie-Philip Poulin (29) battle during the second period of the gold medal game at women's world hockey championships in Brampton, Ontario, Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

FILE - US's Taylor Heise (27), Lacey Eden (7), Laila Edwards (10) Caroline Harvey (4) and Haley Winn (8) celebrate with teammates after the US defeated Canada in a Rivalry Series women's hockey game Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — More than 24 hours before the first shot flew at a Final Four that really feels like a five-team affair, Arizona already had a win.

The Wildcats kept their coach from bolting to that fifth team — North Carolina.

Tommy Lloyd dropped the news of the contract extension that will keep him in Tucson through 2031 at Friday's news conference in advance of a titanic matchup against Michigan.

The meandering coaching search at one of the country's most storied programs has shared headlines with Saturday night's much-anticipated national semifinal that happens to feature two of Carolina's reported coaching targets.

"We’ve been able to get some things done the past couple days," Lloyd said.

Like Lloyd, Michigan coach Dusty May has spent most of this tournament batting down speculation that he might be the replacement for Hubert Davis, who was fired after the Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead in a loss to VCU in the first round of the tournament last month.

Not surprisingly, May was asked about it again the day before the big game.

“Yeah, I love it at Michigan, but you’ll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go and then I’ll comment on every job,” he said.

It's no big surprise that these two coaches are among the hottest commodities in hoops. Just look at the teams they brought to Indy.

There are no fewer than nine potential NBA stars sprinkled across the two rosters, which is why the winner of this, the second of Saturday night's semifinals, will almost certainly be a favorite against the UConn-Illinois winner in the undercard.

“It's the Final Four for a reason. It's the best teams, the best four," Arizona freshman Brayden Burries said. "UConn, Illinois, they're great teams. If we do win Saturday, we know we have a great shot at it. But no, we're not thinking about that now.”

Depending on which mock draft you check, Arizona's top NBA pick will either be Koa Peat (14 points, 5.5 rebounds) or Burries, a 16-point-a-game, McDonalds All-American who is shooting 68% from 3 over the tournament.

It's a striking stat for a team that attempted the third-lowest percentage of 3s in the country, if only because of all the tall, lanky talent it has across the court.

“We're doubling down on what we're good at, and we're believing in Coach Lloyd," said Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, a senior who has spent three years in Tucson after transferring from Alabama. “I like to get in the paint and get fouled. And when teams take that away, we're capable from 3 and we can knock those down, as well.”

Michigan is a 1 1/2-point favorite, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook, in a matchup of the top two teams in the KenPom rankings.

Michigan's best — but hardly its only — NBA prospect is Yaxel Lendeborg, who has scored 25, 23 and 27 in three straight blowout wins in the tournament.

Lendeborg came to Michigan last offseason from UAB. He was part of a quick rebuild, the likes of which are made possible in the era of the rapid-fire transfer portal. The architect is May, who himself arrived in Ann Arbor two seasons ago, just a year removed from a Final Four appearance with Florida A&M.

Michigan's four top scorers — Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau — played at different colleges last season.

May conceded to feeling some relief now that the transfer portal is considered a legit way to build a roster. Gone are the days of spending hundreds of hours recruiting high schoolers, only to learn that they've chosen someplace else.

“When I say we’re saving time, we don’t waste time with all the other things,” May said. “We still have to do our research. We still have the intel. We still have to spend an inordinate amount of time. We just don’t have to spend it the way we used to.”

As this Final Four is showing, it's not just the players whose every move is under a microscope.

“I didn’t want to make this entire Final Four about that because I’m just a small part of something much bigger,” Lloyd said of his contract extension. “But on that same note, I’d also like to let you know that North Carolina is an amazing place. I mean, it’s a one of one. It’s an honor to even be considered for that job.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Arizona guard Brayden Burries smiles after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)

Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg passes during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan head coach Dusty May watches during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd watches during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against against Michigan at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)