Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for Feb. 3 #498

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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty tough. If you’re having trouble solving today’s riddle but still want to solve it, read on for tips and answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the Times-owned subscription sports journalism site. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it online for free.

Learn more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle exits beta

Tips for Connections Groups: Sports Today’s Edition

Here are four clues for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ordered from the easiest yellow group to the difficult (and sometimes weird) purple group.

Yellow group index: Play ball!

Green group index: We won!

Blue group index: Huskies playing hoops.

Purple group index: Collegiate division.

Connections Group Answers: Today’s Sports Edition

Yellow group: Found on a baseball field.

Green group: Rewards for winning a championship.

Blue group: UConn women’s basketball greats.

Purple group: A Mountain West athlete.

Learn more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are the answers from today’s Connections: Sports Edition?

Yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is found on a baseball field. The four answers are backstop, bullpen, dugout, and on-deck circle.

Green words in today’s Connections

The theme is rewards for winning a championship. The four answers are bonus, parade, ring and trophy.

Blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is UConn women’s basketball greats. The four answers are Bird, Cash, Collier and Lobo.

Purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is a Mountain West athlete. The four answers are Aggie, Aztec, Cowboy and Ram.

Toughest Connections: Sports Publishing Categories

The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be difficult, but it really depends on which sports you know best. My husband is successful at anything Formula 1 related, my best friend is an avid hockey fan, and I can answer any questions you have about Minnesota teams.
That said, it’s hard to pick the hardest hookup categories, but here are a few that I found exceptionally mind-blowing.

#1: Serie A clubs. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.

#2: WNBA MVP. 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.