If today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition grid feels like a jumble of unrelated sports terms, you’re not alone. The January 26, 2026 puzzle, No. 490, is one of those boards that looks deceptively random until the themes suddenly click. As always, the challenge isn’t knowing the words — it’s figuring out how the editors want you to group them.
All Words Used Today: C, cutoff, Izzo, +, PF, relay, Gard, News, PG, pitchout, Painter, 2, SG, shift, May, U
Below, you’ll find progressive hints for each color group, starting gently and becoming more specific. Try to solve one group at a time before tapping ahead. If you’re completely stuck, the full solutions are waiting at the end.
Tap to reveal overview hint
All four groups pull from familiar sports vocabulary, but they span basketball, baseball, and sports media. Two groups lean heavily on abbreviations, which can make overlaps feel misleading at first glance.
Tap to reveal Yellow group hint
Think basketball, but not full position names. These are roles you’d see on a lineup card or a stat sheet, shortened for speed and space.
Tap to reveal Green group hint
This set belongs squarely on a baseball diamond. Each term describes a defensive action or strategy you’d hear during live commentary.
Tap to reveal Blue group hint
College hoops fans have the edge here. These names are all associated with the same power conference and appear on sidelines more than box scores.
Tap to reveal Purple group hint
This is the trickiest set. Each word completes the same phrase tied to sports television branding. The connection feels odd until you say the full names out loud.
Strategy note: today’s puzzle rewards isolating the easiest group first. Once one color locks in, the remaining words become far less slippery. Pay close attention to abbreviations — they’re doing a lot of heavy lifting across multiple groups.
Tap to reveal today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers
Yellow group: Basketball positions, abbreviated
C, PF, PG, SG
Green group: Baseball defensive terms
cutoff, pitchout, relay, shift
Blue group: Big Ten men’s basketball coaches
Gard, Izzo, May, Painter
Purple group: ESPN ____
+, 2, News, U
Why this board felt tough: the mix of abbreviations and proper names creates lots of false trails. It’s easy to chase basketball terms too broadly or assume media-related clues belong together before you’ve nailed down the sports-specific logic. Once you recognize the ESPN naming pattern and the Big Ten coaching thread, the puzzle resolves quickly.
NYT Connections: Sports Edition is published through The Athletic, and fresh grids drop regularly alongside other daily word and logic games.
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