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Connections: Sports Edition might be tough today. I'm not really sure the yellow topic relates to sports -- it's more games -- but I'll go along with it. Read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta after making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That's a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn't show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic's own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Deal me in.
Green group hint: White and black ball, in the US.
Blue group hint: Not an angel.
Purple group hint: Hoops teams.
Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Hands in poker.
Green group: Types of kicks in soccer.
Blue group: Teams with devil nicknames.
Purple group: NBA teams in last year's conference finals.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The completed NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle for April 15, 2025.
The yellow words in today's Connections
The theme is hands in poker. The four answers are flush, full house, pair and straight.
The green words in today's Connections
The theme is types of kicks in soccer. The four answers are corner, direct, indirect and penalty.
The blue words in today's Connections
The theme is teams with devil nicknames. The four answers are Arizona, Duke, Manchester United and New Jersey.
The purple words in today's Connections
The theme is NBA teams in last year's conference finals. The four answers are Boston, Dallas, Indiana and Minnesota.
Quick tips for Connections: Sports Edition
#1: Don't grab for the easiest group. For each word, think about other sports categories it might fit in – is this a word that can be used in football, or to describe scoring options?
#2: Second meanings are important. The puzzle loves to use last names and even college names that mean other things, to fool you into thinking they are words, not names.
#3: And the opposite is also true. Words like HURTS might seem like a regular word, but it's also the last name of at least one pro athlete.