NYT Connections: Sports Edition Clues and Solutions for January 5


**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Aficionados**

*Connections: Sports Edition* is the latest adaptation of the well-loved [*New York Times* word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted especially to challenge the expertise of sports fans.

Similar to the original *Connections*, the aim is to discover the “common threads between words.” Like *Wordle*, [*Connections*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-28-2024) resets at midnight each day, with puzzles increasing in difficulty. To assist you in tackling these challenging puzzles, we’ve gathered some tips and strategies for an advantage.

If you’re looking for today’s answer, scroll to the bottom of this page. However, if you’d rather solve it yourself, continue reading for useful hints and clues.

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

This new daily word game from the *New York Times* has debuted in partnership with *The Athletic*, the sports-centric platform of the publication. [*Connections*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-february-21-2024) is accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices. The goal? To categorize four words that are interconnected.

Each puzzle consists of 16 words that need to be sorted into four separate categories. These categories can include anything from book titles to software labels, countries, or—naturally—sports-related subjects. While several words may appear to fit together, only one combination is the right one.

When players successfully identify a group of four, those words are cleared from the board. Incorrect selections are counted as errors, with a maximum of four mistakes allowed before the game concludes. To assist, players can shuffle the board for a new viewpoint.

Each group is coded by color to signify difficulty: yellow being the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Moreover, much like *Wordle*, players can share their results on social media to benchmark their scores against friends.

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

Need a little push in the right direction? Here are some gentle hints for today’s categories:

– **Yellow:** Consider points scored in sports.
– **Green:** Activities occurring on the basepaths.
– **Blue:** Notable female tennis players.
– **Purple:** Terms sharing the same initial word.

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

Still feeling stumped? Here’s a detailed look at today’s categories:

– **Yellow:** *Game outcome data*
– **Green:** *Movements on the basepaths*
– **Blue:** *Victors of the Australian Open Women’s Singles*
– **Purple:** *Initial _________*

### The Solution to Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition*

Ready for the answers? Here’s the resolution to *Connections: Sports Edition* #104:

– **Game outcome data:** *OUTCOME, RESULT, SCORE, TALLY*
– **Movements on the basepaths:** *LEAD, SLIDE, STEAL, TAG*
– **Victors of the Australian Open Women’s Singles:** *BARTY, COURT, GRAF, OSAKA*
– **Initial ______:** *BASE, DOWN, QUARTER, TAKE*

### Don’t Worry if You Missed It!

If you weren’t able to solve today’s puzzle, don’t fret—tomorrow is another day! A fresh *Connections* puzzle will be ready to challenge your mind, and we’ll return with more hints and solutions to assist you.

Looking for additional games to enjoy? Visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. Or, if you’re engaging with *NYT Strands*, [here’s today’s hints and answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-5).

Want to take a look at yesterday’s *Connections*? [Here’s the answer.](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-january-5-2025)