Connections: Sports Edition Answers & Hints – March 23, 2026

The New York Times’ Athletic division released its daily “Connections: Sports Edition” puzzle on Monday, March 23, 2026, presenting a challenge centered around NBA players and sports terminology. The puzzle, a variation of the popular “Connections” game, requires players to group four words together based on shared themes.

Today’s puzzle featured four categories. The “yellow” grouping revolved around methods used to break ties in sports, with answers including “extra end,” “extra innings,” “overtime,” and “shootout.” The “green” category focused on offensive formations in American football, comprising “I,” “shotgun,” “wildcat,” and “wishbone.”

The “blue” grouping proved to be a test of collegiate sports knowledge, requiring players to identify different universities associated with the mascot “Cardinals”: Arizona, Ball State, Louisville, and St. Louis. The most challenging category, “purple,” centered around NBA player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with answers being “2” (referencing his jersey number), “Kentucky” (his college alma mater), “MVP” (a potential accolade), and “Thunder” (his current NBA team).

“Connections: Sports Edition” is published by The Athletic, a subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The New York Times. While it doesn’t appear in the main NYT Games app, it is available within The Athletic’s app and online for free play.

The NBA continues to be a focal point of sports coverage, with recent headlines including Luka Dončić avoiding suspension after a rescinded technical foul, Jalen Williams returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder lineup after a 16-game absence, and LeBron James becoming the NBA’s all-time leader in games played. Kevin Durant recently surpassed Michael Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, according to reporting from The New York Times.