**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Fans**
*Connections: Sports Edition* represents the newest spin-off of the beloved [*New York Times* word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted to challenge the knowledge of sports aficionados.
Similar to the original *Connections*, the goal is to uncover “common threads among words.” Just like *Wordle*, [*Connections*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-28-2024) refreshes at midnight every day, with each new puzzle becoming increasingly tough. If you find yourself stuck, we have hints and suggestions to assist you.
For those who wish to bypass the challenge and go straight to the answers, scroll down to the conclusion of this article for today’s *Connections Sports Edition* solutions. However, if you’d rather tackle it on your own, continue reading for strategies, clues, and useful hints.
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### What Is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
The *New York Times* has teamed up with *The Athletic*, its sports-oriented division, to introduce this new daily word game. [*Connections*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-february-21-2024) can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices, and it prompts players to categorize four words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle contains 16 words, split into four groups. These categories can include a range of topics such as book titles, software names, countries, or, in this instance, sports-related themes. While certain words may seem to fit into several categories, only one solution is correct.
When a player successfully pinpoints all four words in a category, those words are cleared from the board. However, incorrect guesses are counted as errors, and players may make up to four mistakes before the game concludes. To assist players, the board can be shuffled to help identify connections more easily.
Each group is color-coded by difficulty: yellow indicates the easiest level, followed by green, blue, and purple. And, just like *Wordle*, you can share your outcomes on social media to compare results with friends.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections Sports Edition* Categories
Looking for some guidance to kick off? Here are hints for today’s categories without revealing the answers:
– **Yellow:** Occurs when a competition finishes with an identical score.
– **Green:** Words that are synonyms for a competition or sports event.
– **Blue:** Players chosen in the same NBA draft year as “the King.”
– **Purple:** Words that have a shared first name.
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### Today’s *Connections Sports Edition* Categories
If you seek more detailed help, here are today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** *Tied*
– **Green:** *Synonyms for game*
– **Blue:** *Top four selections in the LeBron draft (2003)*
– **Purple:** *Chris _________*
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### The Solution to Today’s *Connections Sports Edition*
Ready to see the answers? This is your final opportunity to turn back and solve the puzzle on your own before they are revealed. Drumroll, please!
Here’s the solution to *Connections Sports Edition* #114:
– **Tied:** *DRAWN, EQUAL, EVEN, LEVEL*
– **Synonyms for game:** *CONTEST, FIXTURE, MATCH, TIE*
– **Top four picks in the LeBron draft (2003):** *ANTHONY, BOSH, JAMES, MILICIC*
– **Chris _________:** *EVERT, GODWIN, PAUL, PRONGER*
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### Don’t Worry if You Missed It!
If you weren’t able to solve today’s puzzle, don’t feel disheartened. A new *Connections* puzzle will arrive tomorrow, and we’ll return with additional hints and solutions to support you.
Searching for more puzzles to engage your mind? Visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more.
And if you’re also enjoying *NYT Strands*, [here are today’s hints and answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-15).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Find the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-january-15-2025).
Happy puzzling!