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Need help with NYT Connections: Sports Edition #181, published Sunday, March 23, 2025? Start with the spoiler-safe clues below, then open the category names or complete groups only when you’re ready. This is the Sports Edition puzzle—not regular Connections #651 for the same date.
Spoiler-safe hints for Connections: Sports Edition #181
Parade’s hints point toward the four groups without giving away their category names:
- Yellow: These are found in a particular sport.
- Green: Earthquake, 49er and Panther could be included here.
- Blue: Locations tied to a certain NCAA conference; others include Columbia, Athens and Fayetteville.
- Purple: Individuals who share a first name.
For a solving approach, look for sports-specific terms and check whether a word could plausibly fit more than one group before committing. Here, several sets depend on sports terminology or sports entities; the last set becomes clearer when its words are paired with “David.”
Spoilers: category names
Spoiler warning: The category names are revealed below.
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- Yellow: First Words in Basketball Positions
- Green: Bay Area Teams, in Singular Form
- Blue: SEC Cities
- Purple: David _____
Full answers for March 23, 2025
Full-solution spoiler: The complete answer groups follow.
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| First Words in Basketball Positions | POINT, POWER, SHOOTING, SMALL |
| Bay Area Teams, in Singular Form | GIANT, SHARK, VALKYRIE, WARRIOR |
| SEC Cities | AUBURN, AUSTIN, NORMAN, TUSCALOOSA |
| David _____ | BECKHAM, MONGOMERY, ORTIZ, ROBINSON |
A note on the David group’s spelling
Parade prints the second surname as “MONGOMERY.” The likely intended surname is “Montgomery,” but the source does not spell it that way, and the accessible New York Times help page does not show this historical puzzle’s answer grid. The table preserves Parade’s spelling rather than silently changing the reported answer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Sports Edition fits the game
The New York Times Help Center describes Connections as a game where players sort 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared connection. The groups are color-coded, with yellow described as easiest and purple as trickiest. The Help Center says Sports Edition follows the same rules and is brought to solvers by The Athletic. Its listed web and app destinations may change; the Help Center also says Sports Edition has no archive, so it does not provide an official way to retrieve this past puzzle.
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Sources
- Parade’s March 23, 2025 guide by Larry Slawson, which reports the puzzle number, hints, category labels and answer words.
- The New York Times Help Center’s Connections page, accessed October 8, 2026, for general game mechanics and Sports Edition information.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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