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Today's Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. 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: Play ball!
Green group hint: Work out.
Blue group hint: City of Brotherly Love.
Purple group hint: Think Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Parts of a baseball roster.
Green group: Gym equipment.
Blue group: Philadelphia Phillies players.
Purple group: Muscle nicknames, plus a letter.
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 1, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's Connections
The theme is parts of a baseball roster. The four answers are bench, bullpen, lineup and rotation.
The green words in today's Connections
The theme is gym equipment. The four answers are elliptical, leg press, medicine ball and treadmill.
The blue words in today's Connections
The theme is Philadelphia Phillies players. The four answers are Marsh, Nola, Turner and Wheeler.
The purple words in today's Connections
The theme is muscle nicknames, plus a letter. The four answers are flat (lat), spec (pec), squad (quad) and whammy (hammy).
Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories
The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.
That said, it's hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing.
#1: Serie A Clubs. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.
#2: WNBA MVPs. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.
#3: Premier League team nicknames. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.
#4: Homophones of NBA player names. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.