Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles. Today's Connections: Sports Edition is tough. Hope you are familiar with one particular former NBA player, and that you know your soccer team names! If you're struggling but still want to solve it, 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 for 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: Head to the alley. Green group hint: Football overseas. Blue group hint: Longtime NBA player. Purple group hint: Soccer monikers. Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups Yellow group: Bowling terms. Green group: Cities hosting NFL international games this season. Blue group: Associated with Vince Carter. Purple group: Words in the names of MLS clubs. 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 Sept. 5, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNET The yellow words in today's Connections The theme is bowling terms. The four answers are gutter, spare, split and strike. The green words in today's Connections The theme is cities hosting NFL international games this season. The four answers are Berlin, London, Madrid and São Paulo. The blue words in today's Connections The theme is associated with Vince Carter. The four answers are dunk contest, Toronto, UNC and Vinsanity. The purple words in today's Connections The theme is words in the names of MLS clubs. The four answers are city, inter, real and united.