The Wednesday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #751, serving up a mix of event atmosphere, scoring language, and names that reward a second look. Familiar sports vocabulary gives you a foothold, but the trickier connections depend on how you read each entry.
What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick
For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.
Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.
Today's Grid at a Glance
Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #751:
FOLLOW | WOLVES | KEYS | PUTBACK
MAC | TIP-IN | CHOCK | CROWD
SPECTATORS | BUMGARNER | BALL | STICK-BACK
SHIRT | FANS | SQUARE GARDEN | SUPPORTERS
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about the atmosphere surrounding a live sporting event.
Green Category Clue: A second chance during play can provide the connection.
Blue Category Hint: Look at naming patterns across different corners of sports.
Purple Category Teaser: A small addition can change how you read an entry.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (People In The Stands): CROWD, FANS, SPECTATORS, SUPPORTERS
CROWD, FANS, SPECTATORS, and SUPPORTERS all describe people in the stands. The connection rests on their shared role at a sporting event.
Green (Basket Off An Offensive Rebound): FOLLOW, PUTBACK, STICK-BACK, TIP-IN
FOLLOW, PUTBACK, TIP-IN, and STICK-BACK are terms for a basket scored off an offensive rebound. Each describes converting another scoring opportunity after a missed shot.
Blue (Madison _____): BUMGARNER, CHOCK, KEYS, SQUARE GARDEN
BUMGARNER, CHOCK, KEYS, and SQUARE GARDEN all complete MADISON _____. Read them as Madison Bumgarner, Madison Chock, Madison Keys, and Madison Square Garden.
Purple (Preceded By "T-"): BALL, MAC, SHIRT, WOLVES
BALL, SHIRT, MAC, and WOLVES share the prefix T-. Adding it produces T-ball, T-shirt, T-Mac, and T-Wolves, so the connection emerges only when you extend the entries.
The Verdict
Yellow offers the clearest opening, with CROWD and SPECTATORS anchoring the event audience. Green demands more specific scoring vocabulary, especially recognition of FOLLOW and STICK-BACK.
BALL is the tempting stray beside PUTBACK and TIP-IN, but a scoring association alone does not complete green. Blue rewards spotting the shared Madison lead-in, while purple is the streak-deciding test of whether you can supply the missing T-.
Reset and Repeat
Today's standout trick is how a single T- pulls four otherwise scattered entries together. Come back tomorrow with that habit of testing small additions, then let the fresh grid suggest its own route.
For now, puzzle #751 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.
