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Today's Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. I actually thought the purple category, usually the most difficult, was the easiest of the four. If you're struggling with today's 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 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: Old Line State.
Green group hint: Hoops legend.
Blue group hint: Robert Redford movie.
Purple group hint: Vroom-vroom.
Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Maryland teams.
Green group: Shaquille O'Neal nicknames.
Blue group: Associated with "The Natural."
Purple group: Sports that have a driver.
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 Feb. 21, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's Connections
The theme is Maryland teams. The four answers are Midshipmen, Orioles, Ravens and Terrapins.
The green words in today's Connections
The theme is Shaquille O'Neal nicknames. The four answers are Big Aristotle, Diesel, Shaq and Superman.
The blue words in today's Connections
The theme is associated with "The Natural." The four answers are baseball, Hobbs, Knights and Wonderboy.
The purple words in today's Connections
The theme is sports that have a driver. The four answers are bobsled, F1, golf and water polo.