The latest installment of the Connections: Sports Edition, a puzzle featured in The Athletic, has garnered attention for its unique and intriguing groups of words. This version, distinct from the standard New York Times games, requires players to group words based on themed clues. While it may appear challenging initially, players can gain insights from hints provided for each grouping. The puzzle is accessible online or via The Athletic’s app, marking its recent move out of beta testing.
In today’s puzzle, the hints are cleverly categorized from easier to more challenging ones. The yellow group is associated with golf, a theme that should resonate well with players familiar with the sport. The hint “Fore!” leads participants to think about common golf terminology, focusing on concepts such as birdie, bogey, eagle, and par, which are fundamental in scoring within the sport. This clear connection to golf can help players easily assemble the group while enjoying a game reminiscence.
The green group receives its direction from the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), offering terms synonymous with the league’s identity. Clues like “Name of a league” point to critical words such as Association, Basketball, National, and Women’s. The association is well-known in sporting circles and provides an accessible reference for fans of women’s basketball, making the group easier to identify for attentive players.
One of the more intricate challenges comes from the blue group, which focuses on sports that involve subjective scoring. The hint emphasizes the nature of sports that rely on judges to arbitrate performances. This leads to answers including diving, figure skating, gymnastics, and skateboarding, all of which require assessment beyond just the clock or physical measurements. This group invites players to consider not only the sports themselves but the nuanced ways in which athletic performance is judged.
Lastly, the purple group theme is related to various prestigious “cups” in sports. The hint “Drinking vessel” creatively connects to names like America’s Cup, Ryder Cup, Stanley Cup, and World Cup. While the term drinking vessel might seem abstract initially, the connection becomes clear once one considers the legendary significance of these tournaments and how they are often celebrated. This clever twist encourages players to think beyond the expected, embracing the multifaceted nature of terminology in sports.
In summary, the Today’s Connections: Sports Edition offers a balanced mix of challenges, enriching wordplay, and themes that cater to sports enthusiasts. With four distinct groupings grounded in golf terms, WNBA terminology, subjective scoring sports, and notable cups, players can expect both fun and brain exercise. Whether solving individually or with friends, the process promotes engagement with various sporting themes, reaffirming the joy derived from playful language amidst the competitive spirit of sports.
