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Spoilers for the July 9, 2025, NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle (#289): the four groups are TAKE OUT OF A GAME, GYMNASTICS TERMS, NBA KEVINS, and WNBA TEAMS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED. The answer lists and hints are below.
Hints for the July 9 puzzle
- Yellow: What athletes fear.
- Green: Simone Biles territory.
- Blue: A popular name in the NBA.
- Purple: Caitlin Clark’s league, with a twist.
Answers and categories
| Category | Answers |
|---|---|
| TAKE OUT OF A GAME | BENCH, PULL, REPLACE, SUB |
| GYMNASTICS TERMS | HANDSPRING, ROUND-OFF, SALTO, TWIST |
| NBA KEVINS | DURANT, GARNETT, LOVE, MCHALE |
| WNBA TEAMS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED | CREAM, FUN, LEVER, RINGS |
How the trickiest group works
The purple answers each change the first letter of a WNBA team name: CREAM becomes Dream, FUN becomes Sun, LEVER becomes Fever, and RINGS becomes Wings. The blue group links four NBA players whose first name is Kevin: Durant, Garnett, Love, and McHale.
How Connections: Sports Edition works
The game presents 16 words to sort into four groups of four, each connected by a shared sports-related thread. The New York Times and The Athletic describe its aim as grouping sports terms that share a common thread. Parade identifies the July 9 edition as puzzle #289; Yahoo Sports also confirms the answer groups.
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