Sports fans looking for a mental challenge have a recent daily puzzle to tackle: Connections: Sports Edition. Launched by The Athletic, the game tests players’ knowledge of the sporting world by tasking them with grouping 16 words into four categories of four, based on shared themes. Today’s puzzle, No. 508, is proving to be a 3.5 out of 5 in difficulty, according to its creator.
For those struggling to find the connections, or simply wanting to check their answers, here’s a breakdown of the Feb. 13, 2026, puzzle. The goal is to identify the common threads linking seemingly disparate terms, but be warned – there’s only one correct solution for each grouping, and up to four mistakes are allowed before the game ends.
Hints for Today’s Connections: Sports Edition
If you prefer to solve the puzzle independently, here are a few hints to get you started, progressing from the easiest to the most challenging categories. Remember, the categories are color-coded, with yellow being the most straightforward and purple the trickiest.
- Yellow: Deal me in.
- Green: Court cinema.
- Blue: Famed Chicagoan.
- Purple: Big cities.
Answers for Connections: Sports Edition – Feb. 13, 2026
Ready to see the solutions? Here’s how the categories break down for puzzle No. 508:
- Yellow – Hands in poker: FULL HOUSE, PAIR, ROYAL FLUSH, STRAIGHT
- Green – Tennis movies: BATTLE OF THE SEXES, CHALLENGERS, KING RICHARD, WIMBLEDON
- Blue – Associated with Walter Payton: 34, BEARS, JACKSON STATE, SWEETNESS
- Purple – Teams that play in world capitals: COMMANDERS, CRYSTAL PALACE, REAL MADRID, SENATORS
About Connections: Sports Edition
Connections: Sports Edition is The Athletic’s first foray into the world of daily puzzle games. Players are challenged to group 16 words into four categories, each with a unifying theme. The game emphasizes quick thinking and a broad knowledge of sports, and each puzzle has a single, correct solution. Categories are color-coded to indicate difficulty, ranging from yellow (easiest) to purple (most challenging).
Mark Cooper, a managing editor for college sports at The Athletic, is the creator of the daily puzzle. He previously served as the publication’s managing editor for breaking news. Cooper explained that a new puzzle will be available each day at midnight in your local time zone.
The game can be accessed directly through The Athletic’s website.
What strategies did you use to solve today’s puzzle? Share your scores and thoughts in the comments below!
