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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition reminds me that I’m always amazed at how the game creators can find words hidden in other words — in this case, inside athletes’ surnames. (Yes, it’s the purple group, of course.) If you’re struggling with the puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Friendly names for baseball teams.
Green group hint: Health advice for a sprained ankle or pulled muscle.
Blue group hint: Teams from the Yellowhammer State.
Purple group hint: Nation names hidden.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: MLB teams, informally.
Green group: “RICE” method.
Blue group: Nicknames of Alabama college teams.
Purple group: Starts with a country.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for June 5, 2026.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is MLB teams, informally. The four answers are Buccos, Cards, Cubbies and Yanks.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is “RICE” method. The four answers are rest, ice, compression and elevation.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is nicknames of Alabama college teams. The four answers are Blazers, Crimson Tide, Tigers and Trojans.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is starts with a country. The four answers are Chiles, Cubarsí, Indiana and Malinin.
