Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty challenging. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Play ball!
Green group hint: We won!
Blue group hint: Huskies who play hoops.
Purple group hint: College division.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Found at a baseball field.
Green group: Rewards for winning a championship.
Blue group: UConn women’s basketball greats.
Purple group: A Mountain West athlete.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 3, 2026.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is found at a baseball field. The four answers are backstop, bullpen, dugout and on-deck circle.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is rewards for winning a championship. The four answers are bonus, parade, ring and trophy.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is UConn women’s basketball greats. The four answers are Bird, Cash, Collier and Lobo.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is a Mountain West athlete. The four answers are Aggie, Aztec, Cowboy and Ram.
Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories
The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.
That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing.
#1: Serie A Clubs. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.
#2: WNBA MVPs. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.
#3: Premier League team nicknames. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.
#4: Homophones of NBA player names. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.
