The New York Times’ Connections: Sports Edition, a puzzle published by The Athletic, tested players today with a mix of NFL playoffs, NBA arenas, jumping ability, and team nicknames. If you found yourself stuck, here’s a breakdown of the categories and solutions for the January 9th, 2024 puzzle.
Understanding the Puzzle
Connections: Sports Edition differs from the standard NYT Connections in that it focuses exclusively on sports-related terms. This edition isn’t available in the NYT Games app, but can be played for free online or within The Athletic ‘s app. The puzzle challenges players to group sixteen words into four categories of four, based on shared themes.
Today’s Solutions: A Category Breakdown
The puzzle categories required a good grasp of sports terminology and team names. Here’s how the groupings broke down:
- Yellow (Easiest): NFL Playoff Rounds. The answers were conference championship, divisional, Super Bowl, and wild card. This category tested familiarity with the structure of the National Football League’s postseason.
- Green: Jumping Ability. The terms bounce, bunnies, hops, and ups all relate to vertical movement in sports, particularly basketball.
- Blue: NBA Arenas. This category included Delta, FedEx, Scotiabank, and Spectrum. These are all corporate-sponsored venues where professional basketball teams play.
- Purple (Hardest): ____ Devils. The final group consisted of blue, New Jersey, red, and sun. These refer to various sports teams that use “Devils” as part of their team name or nickname.
The Puzzle’s Difficulty
The difficulty of Connections: Sports Edition varies significantly based on the player’s sports knowledge. Some categories, like the NFL playoffs, are straightforward for dedicated football fans. Others, such as the Series A Clubs or WNBA MVPs, require specialized expertise.
Notable Tough Categories from Past Puzzles
Some of the most challenging categories previously featured in Connections: Sports Edition include:
- Series A Clubs: (Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma) – Requires knowledge of Italian soccer.
- WNBA MVPs: (Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles, Stewart) – Tests familiarity with Women’s National Basketball Association history.
- Premier League Team Nicknames: (Bees, Cherries, Foxes, Hammers) – Demands detailed knowledge of English soccer team monikers.
The Connections: Sports Edition continues to be a unique and engaging puzzle for sports enthusiasts, providing a challenging test of their knowledge and a fun diversion for casual fans alike.
