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Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 23, #546

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 23, No. 546.

Headshot of Gael Cooper
Headshot of Gael Cooper
Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, and generational studies Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Gael Cooper
2 min read
NYT Connections: Sport Edition on a phone

Here are the answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition.

 James Martin/CNET

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. Let's hope you know a lot about a certain NBA player. 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: Somebody has to win!

Green group hint: Gridiron strategy.

Blue group hint: Certain bird.

Purple group hint: A hoops star.

Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Used to break a tie.

Green group: Offensive formations in football.

Blue group: Cardinals.

Purple group: Associated with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers?

completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 23, 2026

The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 23, 2026.

 NYT/Screenshot by CNET

The yellow words in today's Connections

The theme is used to break a tie. The four answers are extra end, extra innings, overtime and shootout.

The green words in today's Connections

The theme is offensive formations in football. The four answers are I, shotgun, wildcat and wishbone.

The blue words in today's Connections

The theme is cardinals. The four answers are Arizona, Ball State, Louisville and St. Louis.

The purple words in today's Connections

The theme is associated with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The four answers are 2, Kentucky, MVP and Thunder.