**Connections: Sports Edition – An Exciting Challenge for Sports Aficionados**

*Connections: Sports Edition* presents a novel twist on the well-known [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted exclusively to challenge the knowledge of sports fans.

Similar to the classic *Connections*, the objective is to discover the “shared connections between words.” Additionally, mirroring *Wordle*, the game resets each day at midnight, with every new puzzle increasing in difficulty. Should you find yourself at a standstill, we offer hints and strategies to assist you. Would you rather skip directly to the answer? Scroll to the conclusion of this article for today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* solution. Otherwise, continue reading for tips and insights to help you along the way.

—

### What Is *Connections: Sports Edition*?

The *New York Times* has partnered with *The Athletic*, its sports-oriented publication, to develop this daily word game. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, the game invites players to categorize four words that relate to a common theme.

Each puzzle includes 16 words, which must be organized into four distinct categories. These categories may encompass anything from literary titles to sports franchises, software, or nation names. Although many words may appear to connect, there is only one correct grouping.

When a player successfully identifies a set of four words, those terms are cleared from the board. However, incorrect guesses count as errors, and players may make up to four errors before the game concludes.

To facilitate gameplay, players can rearrange the board to better recognize patterns. Each category is color-coded, with yellow as the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Just like in *Wordle*, players can share their outcomes on social media to compare results with friends.

—

### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories

Need a hint to steer you? Here are some clues for today’s categories:

– **Yellow:** Just keep winning
– **Green:** Backwards and forwards
– **Blue:** Mascots for women’s hockey
– **Purple:** Leading football team into the playoffs

—

### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories

If you’re in search of more detailed assistance, here are today’s categories:

– **Yellow:** Sustained stretch of success
– **Green:** Palindromes
– **Blue:** PWHL teams
– **Purple:** Coaches of College Football Playoff teams

—

### Ready for the Solution?

If you’ve done your best but still can’t solve today’s puzzle, here’s the answer to *Connections: Sports Edition* #89:

– **Sustained stretch of success:** FLURRY, RALLY, RUN, SPURT
– **Palindromes:** KAYAK, PEP, RACE CAR, RADAR
– **PWHL teams:** FLEET, FROST, SCEPTRES, SIRENS
– **Coaches of College Football Playoff teams:** DAY, FREEMAN, SMART, SWINNEY

—

Don’t fret if you weren’t able to figure it out this time—there’s always tomorrow! A new *Connections* puzzle will be ready for you, and we’ll return with additional hints and solutions to assist you further.

—

### Looking for More Games?

If you enjoy puzzles, visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. And if you’re also engaging with *NYT Strands*, [here are today’s hints and answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-december-21).

Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Find the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-21).

Happy puzzling!