The latest installment of the New York Times’ “Connections: Sports Edition” puzzle is proving to be a challenge for many, testing players’ knowledge across a variety of athletic disciplines. Released on March 23, 2026, the game tasks participants with grouping sixteen words into four categories of four, demanding both strategic thinking and a broad understanding of the sports world. This edition, published by The Athletic, requires a particularly keen eye for detail, especially when it comes to recognizing connections within the realm of professional basketball.
For those struggling to crack the code, hints and solutions are available. The puzzle, which doesn’t appear in the standard NYT Games app but is accessible through The Athletic’s app or directly online, presents a unique daily challenge for sports enthusiasts. Today’s categories range from football strategy to identifying teams sharing a common mascot, culminating in a quartet of clues linked to a prominent NBA player.
Here’s a breakdown of the categories and their corresponding answers, progressing from the easier groupings to the most difficult:
Yellow: Breaking the Tie
The yellow category centers around methods used to resolve tied scores. The four words in this group are: extra end, extra innings, overtime and shootout. These all represent ways games are extended beyond regulation time to determine a winner.
Green: Gridiron Strategies
This green category focuses on offensive formations commonly employed in American football. The solutions are I, shotgun, wildcat, and wishbone. These formations each represent distinct approaches to positioning players and executing plays on the field.
Blue: A Flock of Cardinals
The blue category presents a bit of a geographical and collegiate challenge, revolving around teams that share the “Cardinals” mascot. The answers are Arizona, Ball State, Louisville, and St. Louis. These represent athletic programs at the professional and collegiate levels all united by their avian namesake.
Purple: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Connections
The most challenging category, colored purple, requires knowledge of NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The four words associated with him are 2, Kentucky, MVP, and Thunder. This refers to his jersey number (2), the university he attended (Kentucky), his potential for earning the Most Valuable Player award (MVP), and his current team (the Oklahoma City Thunder).
The completed puzzle for March 23, 2026, demonstrates the diverse range of sports knowledge required to succeed.
(Image credit: NYT/Screenshot by CNET)
“Connections: Sports Edition” continues to offer a daily mental workout for sports fans, blending trivia with logical deduction. As the game evolves, players can expect further challenges that test their understanding of the ever-changing world of athletics. The Athletic’s continued development of this puzzle format provides a unique and engaging experience for subscribers and those who access it online.
Looking ahead, the daily release of “Connections: Sports Edition” will undoubtedly continue to test the sports acumen of players. The game’s success lies in its ability to present familiar concepts in a novel way, encouraging both casual fans and dedicated followers to engage with the world of sports on a deeper level.
Enjoy the challenge, and share your results!
