NYT Connections Sports Version: Clues and Solutions for October 16, 2025

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition highlights expertise in women’s tennis.

This iteration of the famed New York Times word challenge tests sports enthusiasts’ knowledge.

Similar to the original Connections, the game requires players to discern “common threads among words.” Like Wordle, Connections resets at midnight, with each subsequent word set becoming more challenging — so we’ve included some hints and advice to assist you.

If you’re looking for the solution to today’s puzzle, jump to the end of this article. If you’d rather solve it on your own, keep reading for clues, tips, and strategies.

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What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT‘s newest daily word game, in partnership with The Athletic, New York Times’ sports reporting platform, is available now. Connections can be accessed via web browsers and mobile devices, prompting players to group four words that share a common link.

Each puzzle features 16 words split into four categories. These groups can encompass anything from book titles to software names or country designations. Although several words may appear to connect, only one correct solution exists.

Correctly identifying all four words in a category eliminates them from the board. An incorrect guess is counted as a mistake — players may make up to four mistakes before the game concludes.

Players can rearrange and shuffle the board to detect connections with greater ease. Each group is color-coded, with yellow being the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share your results on social media.