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The blue category in today’s Connections: Sports Edition is especially fun for music fans. If you’re struggling with the puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
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: New to sports.
Green group hint: College division.
Blue group hint: Rock out!
Purple group hint: Sunny city team.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Terms used for a young athlete.
Green group: A Big 12 athlete.
Blue group: Artists of iconic stadium anthems.
Purple group: Members of the San Diego Padres.
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 May 9, 2026.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is terms used for a young athlete. The four answers are frosh, prospect, rook and tenderfoot.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is a Big 12 athlete. The four answers are Bearcat, Buffalo, Cougar and Knight.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is artists of iconic stadium anthems. The four answers are AC/DC, Darude, Queen and Survivor.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is members of the San Diego Padres. The four answers are Bogaerts, King, Sheets and Tatis.
Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories
The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.
That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing.
#1: Serie A Clubs. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.
#2: WNBA MVPs. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.
#3: Premier League team nicknames. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.
#4: Homophones of NBA player names. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.
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