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Connections: Sports Edition threw me for a loop today with the purple category. There's a certain 1996 sports movie that pops up in memes and jokes every so often, and if you know it well, you'll ace this grouping. Read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, 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: Come on, batter!
Green group hint: Five for fighting.
Blue group hint: They might like cheesesteaks.
Purple group hint: Think Lola Bunny's movie.
Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Attempt to hit a baseball.
Green group: Hockey penalties.
Blue group: Philadelphia mascots.
Purple group: NBA players whose talents were stolen in "Space Jam."
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 March 28, 2025, #186.
The yellow words in today's Connections
The theme is an attempt to hit a baseball. The four answers are cut, hack, rip and swing.
The green words in today's Connections
The theme is hockey penalties. The four answers are boarding, kneeing, slashing and tripping.
The blue words in today's Connections
The theme is Philadelphia mascots. The four answers are Franklin, Gritty, Phillie Phanatic and Swoop.
The purple words in today's Connections
The theme is NBA players whose talents were stolen in "Space Jam." The four answers are Barkley, Bogues, Bradley and Ewing.
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.