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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition gets a bit wild in the blue and purple categories. If you’re struggling with today’s 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.
Read more: 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: Play ball!
Green group hint: Gridiron roles.
Blue group hint: Like Ted Lasso.
Purple group hint: LA team that came from Brooklyn.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: AL East teams.
Green group: First words of football positions.
Blue group: Premier League managers.
Purple group: Nicknames for the Dodgers franchise, over time.
Read more: 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 April 19, 2026.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is AL East teams. The four answers are Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays and Yankees.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is first words of football positions. The four answers are defensive, running, tight and wide.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Premier League managers. The four answers are Emery, Guardiola, Moyes and Slot.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is nicknames for the Dodgers franchise, over time. The four answers are Bridegrooms, Dodgers, Robins and Superbas.
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.
