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Here are the clues and answers for the June 20 NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, #635.
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, CNET editor-in-chief, journalist and pop culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She has been a journalist since 1989 and works for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and NBC News Digital. She is part of Generation X in terms of date of birth, words and deeds. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.
Skill Latest News, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Travel, Food, Shopping & Deals, Product Reviews, Money & Finance, Video Games, Pets, History, Books, Technology History & Generational Studies Credentials
- Co-author of two Gen X pop culture encyclopedias for Penguin Books. Won the “Headline Writer of the Year” award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in the Society for Features Journalism 2013 headline writing.
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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has some fun categories, although the green group was a surprise to me. If you’re having trouble solving the puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for tips and answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the Times-owned subscription sports journalism site. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it online for free.
Learn more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle exits beta
Tips for Connections Groups: Sports Today’s Edition
Here are four clues for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ordered from the easiest yellow group to the difficult (and sometimes weird) purple group.
Yellow group index: Big Apple baseball.
Green group index: Cycling racing clothing.
Blue group index: Not the Big 10, but…
Purple group index: Cowboys wear them.
Connections Group Answers: Today’s Sports Edition
Yellow group: New York Yankees, informally.
Green group: Tour de France jerseys.
Blue group: Locations of Big 12 schools.
Purple group: What “boot” could mean.
Learn more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are the answers from today’s Connections: Sports Edition?
NYT Connections Completed; Puzzle Sports Edition of June 20, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNETYellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is the New York Yankees, informally. The four answers are Bronx Bombers, Evil Empire, Pinstripes and Yanks.
Green words in today’s Connections
The theme is Tour de France jerseys. The four answers are green, polka dot, white and yellow.
Blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is the location of Big 12 schools. The four answers are Boulder, Fort Worth, Manhattan and Waco.
Purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is what “boot” could mean. The four responses are tackle, eject, kick and mishandle.
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, CNET editor-in-chief, journalist and pop culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She has been a journalist since 1989 and works for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and NBC News Digital. She is part of Generation X in terms of date of birth, words and deeds. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line. See full bio