**Connections: Sports Edition – A New Challenge for Sports Enthusiasts**
*Connections: Sports Edition* offers a new twist on the well-known [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), intended to gauge the expertise of sports fans. Similar to the original *Connections*, this game focuses on pinpointing “common threads among words.” Like *Wordle*, the puzzle refreshes daily at midnight, with each subsequent challenge becoming increasingly complex. If you find yourself in a bind, we have hints and tactics to assist you—or feel free to jump to the end of this article for today’s solution.
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### What Is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
This new daily word game from the *New York Times* is a partnership with *The Athletic*, which is the publication’s sports-oriented platform. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, the game invites players to categorize four words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle comprises 16 words, sorted into four categories. These categories can include anything from book titles to country names to sports terms. While many words may appear to connect, each set has only one correct grouping.
When you successfully group four words, they are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect guesses are counted as errors, and players can make up to four mistakes before the game concludes. To simplify the process, players can rearrange the board for clearer visibility of connections. Each category is color-coded, starting with yellow as the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like *Wordle*, players can share their scores on social media.
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### Tips for Solving *Connections: Sports Edition*
In need of a hint without revealing the solution? Here’s a glimpse at today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Hit by pitch
– **Green:** Colors found in a car race
– **Blue:** Shared four basketball championships
– **Purple:** Athletes sharing the same first name
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
If you require a bit more assistance, here are today’s specific categories:
– **Yellow:** Hit batter with a pitch
– **Green:** Flags used in NASCAR
– **Blue:** Members of the Warriors dynasty
– **Purple:** Steve ______
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Solution
Ready for the answers? Here’s the solution to today’s puzzle:
– **Hit a batter with a pitch:** BEAN, DRILL, HIT, PLUNK
– **Flags in NASCAR:** CHECKERED, RED, WHITE, YELLOW
– **Members of Warriors dynasty:** CURRY, GREEN, KERR, THOMPSON
– **Steve ______:** CARLTON, MCNAIR, PREFONTAINE, YZERMAN
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Don’t fret if you couldn’t solve it this time—another *Connections* puzzle will be waiting for you tomorrow. We’ll return with more hints and answers to assist you.
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### Looking for More Games?
If you enjoy puzzles, visit [Mashable’s games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. Additionally, if you’re playing *NYT Strands*, [check out today’s hints and answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-3).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Access the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-january-3-2025).