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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with the 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.
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: Need to work on your skills.
Green group hint: Wimbledon essentials.
Blue group hint: Formerly the Seattle SuperSonics.
Purple group hint: What time is it?
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Out of practice.
Green group: Parts of a tennis racket.
Blue group: Members of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Purple group: ____ clock.
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What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for May 12, 2026.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is out of practice. The four answers are cold, off, rusty and sluggish.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is parts of a tennis racket. The four answers are butt, grip, grommets and strings.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is members of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The four answers are Dort, Holmgren, Joe and Wallace.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____ clock. The four answers are game, pitch, play and shot.
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.
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