The Connections Sports Edition is a deceptively challenging game from The Athletic, and finding the right Sports Connections hint can make all the difference. The Sports Edition of NYT’s Connections puzzle grabs terms from popular US sports and groups them into increasingly difficult categories. Today’s game is tricky, with the groups being a real head-scratcher. Rest assured, you’re in the right place, as here are today’s NYT Sports Connections hint and answers for puzzle #658 on July 13, 2026.
Sports Connections Hints and Answers Today
Sports Connections features four different categories, each growing in difficulty. We start with the easiest in yellow before the difficulty spike gets steeper as we approach Green and Blue, and finally, it culminates in purple, which is the toughest of them all. Curious why the purple category is always the hardest? Read our breakdown of why the Purple category is hardest in Connections.
The difficulty of each section is based on the connection strength of the words, similar to the NYT Connections game. This means directly connected words, such as the names of skill moves in soccer, are placed in the easier categories, while loosely connected or most specifically associated words, such as the names of Knicks Hall of Famers, sit in the difficult sections.
If you’re looking to learn more about the game, including useful tips and strategies, be sure to check out our deep dive on how to play Sports Connections. Not sure how it differs from the original NYT puzzle? We also have a detailed Connections vs Sports Connections comparison to help you see how the two puzzles differ.
With that out of the way, here are the NYT Sports Connections hints and answers for July 13, 2026:
CHALK
DIRT
GRASS
RUBBER
JAYHAWKS
SHOCKERS
SPORTING KC
WILDCATS
ARGENTINA
BARCELONA
INTER MIAMI
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
BLUE
MARL
ROCK
WHIT
Also, if you haven’t yet checked out other NYT puzzle games, we have got you covered with today’s Strands hints right here.
Difficulty Level for Today’s Connections Sports Edition
Based on my experience, the difficulty level for Today’s Sports Connections was a 1.5 out of 5.
The difficulty for most puzzle games is subjective, but Sports Connections, in particular, is trickier to classify since most people specialize in different sports. If you disagree with my difficulty rating, feel free to check out the section below for an overview of how I found the sports connections answer today. While you’re at it, also check out today’s Wordle hints for another brain-teaser.
How to Find NYT Sports Connections Answers?
Here’s how I narrowed down and rated the difficulty of each section (from easiest to the most tricky) in today’s Sports Connections:
- Yellow Category: This is very accessible, as it’s a fun observational category requiring no deep sports knowledge.
- Green Category: This category is moderate since two franchises are nationally well-known but the others are more regionally familiar.
- Blue Category: This category is easy for soccer fans as this player’s career is among the most documented in sports history, though one club stint is more recent and niche.
- Purple Category: The hardest Purple category is the trickiest since truncated team names require you to mentally reconstruct each one, and the cut-off points are deliberately chosen to obscure the answer.
Yesterday’s Sports Connections Hints
If this isn’t the puzzle you required assistance with, then you’re likely looking for yesterday’s Sports Connection hints and answers. Yesterday’s Connections: Sports Edition was easier than most days, and here are the answers:
| Colour | Hint | Theme | Answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Prizes presented to winners | AWARD | CUP, MEDAL, PLAQUE, TROPHY |
| Green | Strategic offensive plays in playball | BASEBALL TACTICS | DELAYED STEAL, HIT AND RUN, SACRIFICE, SQUEEZE |
| Blue | Items found on a coach’s bench | USED DURING A TIMEOUT | CHAIR, DRY ERASE BOARD, TOWEL, WATER BOTTLE |
| Purple | Words sounding like Boston basketball legends | HOMOPHONES OF CELTICS ALL-TIME GREATS | ALAN, BURRED, KOOZIE, PERISH |
How to Play NYT Sports Connections?
Whether you’re new to the game or a veteran struggling with an especially tricky category, here are some tips and tricks to help you solve the puzzle without requiring a Sports Connections hint. Make sure to also avoid common mistakes in Sports Connections to improve your solve rate.
- Look for the bigger play: Just like in sports, don’t focus on a single player (or word) too early. Sometimes multiple words seem like they belong to one category, but the correct connection might involve a completely different set. Check all possible ‘lineups’ before locking in your picks.
- Pay attention to the scoreboard: Sports Connections gives you limited mistakes, just like a team only has so many timeouts or turnovers before it’s too late. If you get a grouping wrong, look for hints from the remaining words, as they can point you toward the categories you missed.
- Switch up your strategy: The game lets you shuffle the words in the grid, which is like changing formations mid-game. Seeing the words in a new order can help you spot patterns or connections you missed before.
That’s all for today’s Sports Connections hints and answers guide. If you struggled with the puzzle, remember that you can always start anew the next day, and we’ll be back with simple hints to help you out.
The NYT Sports Connections hints for July 13, 2026, are Yellow: Common surfaces and substances on a diamond, Green: Athletic clubs from the Sunflower State, Blue: Clubs represented by a legendary Argentine, and Purple: Opening words of professional baseball club names.
Today’s Sports Connections categories are – Yellow: MATERIALS FOUND ON A BASEBALL FIELD, Green: TEAMS IN KANSAS, Blue: LIONEL MESSI TEAMS, and Purple: STARTS OF MLB TEAM NAMES.
No, Connections Sports Edition is exclusively available on The Athletic’s website and is not present in the NYT Games App.
The Sports Connection puzzle is released daily at midnight local time.
Yes, you can play the popular puzzle game endlessly using the Sports Connections Unlimited websites available online.
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