*Connections: Sports Edition* is a fresh variation of the beloved New York Times word game aimed at sports fans. Like the original *Connections*, the objective is to find “common threads between words.” Similarly to *Wordle*, *Connections* refreshes at midnight, with each new set of words becoming increasingly difficult—hence, we’ve compiled some hints and tips to assist you.

If you seek today’s puzzle solution, feel free to jump to the end of this article. Otherwise, keep reading for clues, tips, and strategies to support you.

**What is Connections Sports Edition?**

The NYT’s newest daily word game is rolled out in partnership with *The Athletic*, which serves as the New York Times’ sports content provider. *Connections* can be enjoyed on both web browsers and mobile devices, tasking players with grouping four words that share a connection.

Each puzzle contains 16 words, categorized into four groups. These groups could range from book titles to software names or countries. While several words may appear to interlink, only one correct grouping exists.

When a player successfully connects all four words in a group, those terms are removed from the board. A wrong guess is counted as a mistake—players can make up to four mistakes before concluding the game.

Players also have the option to rearrange and shuffle the board to better visualize connections. Each group is color-coded, with yellow being the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to *Wordle*, you can share your outcomes with friends on social media.

**Here’s a hint for today’s Connections Sports Edition categories**

Want a clue about the categories without revealing the categories themselves? Use these:

– **Yellow:** Preventing
– **Green:** Same region
– **Blue:** Identical first name
– **Purple:** Locations where games happen, partially.

**Here are today’s Connections Sports Edition categories**

Need a bit of additional support? Today’s connections can be categorized as follows:

– **Yellow:** Prevent
– **Green:** Arizona teams, excluding the S
– **Blue:** Kyles
– **Purple:** Initial words of Chicago sporting arenas

Prepared for the answers? This is your final chance to retreat and solve today’s puzzle before we disclose the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today’s *Connections Sports Edition* #309 is…

– Prevent – **BLOCK, STOP, STUFF, THWART**
– Arizona teams, excluding the S – **CARDINAL, DIAMONDBACK, SUN, WILDCAT**
– Kyles – **BUSCH, LOWRY, SCHWARBER, SHANAHAN**
– Initial words of Chicago sporting arenas – **RATE, SOLDIER, UNITED, WRIGLEY**

Don’t feel disheartened if you couldn’t figure it out this time. New *Connections* will return tomorrow for you to challenge your mind further, and we’ll be back to assist you with more useful hints.

If you’re in search of more puzzles, Mashable now offers games! Head over to our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword puzzles, and more.

Not the day you seek? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.