Today's Sports Connections answers
By SportsMonkie Sports Desk · Puzzle #762 · Edited by Mark Cooper · Full spoilers below
This page always carries the current NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle — #762, Sunday, October 25, 2026. The four groups are NHL TEAMS WITH SINGULAR NICKNAMES, CONTAINS A DOUBLE Z, FAMOUS CANADIAN ATHLETES, STARTS OF LOS ANGELES TEAM NAMES. The full sixteen words, sorted into their groups with a short explanation of why each one belongs, are right below. Want to solve it yourself first? Use the progressive hints instead.
Today's answers, group by group
Tier 1 · Easiest
NHL TEAMS WITH SINGULAR NICKNAMES
- MAMMOTH
- WILD
- KRAKEN
- AVALANCHE
Why: These four are all sporting nicknames rather than given names, so the group hinges on recognising the player behind each tag: MAMMOTH, WILD, KRAKEN and AVALANCHE.
Tier 2 · Easy
CONTAINS A DOUBLE Z
- JAZZ
- GRIZZLIES
- MIZZOU
- RIZZUTO
Why: This is the wordplay group: JAZZ, GRIZZLIES, MIZZOU and RIZZUTO are joined by the pattern in the title ("contains a double z"), not by any shared sport. It is the classic trap tier — several of these words look like they belong with a sports category above, which is exactly what the puzzle wants you to try first.
Tier 3 · Tricky
FAMOUS CANADIAN ATHLETES
- MCINTOSH
- ORR
- NASH
- VOTTO
Why: All four — MCINTOSH, ORR, NASH and VOTTO — share one link: famous canadian athletes. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 4 · Hardest
STARTS OF LOS ANGELES TEAM NAMES
- GALA
- CHAR
- LAKE
- CLIP
Why: All four — GALA, CHAR, LAKE and CLIP — share one link: starts of los angeles team names. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
If you don't follow US sports
Sports Edition skews American, so a group can be obvious to a US fan and invisible to everyone else. The "why" line under each group names the league, the city or the player so the connection makes sense even if you have never watched the sport.
FAQ
What are today's Sports Connections answers (#762)?
The four groups for Sunday, October 25, 2026 are: NHL TEAMS WITH SINGULAR NICKNAMES; CONTAINS A DOUBLE Z; FAMOUS CANADIAN ATHLETES; STARTS OF LOS ANGELES TEAM NAMES. The full sixteen words and the reason each group fits are laid out above.
What time does the Sports Connections puzzle reset?
A new puzzle unlocks at midnight in your local time, so players in earlier time zones get the next day's grid first. This page updates to the new puzzle as soon as it is live.
How many mistakes can I make?
Four. Every wrong group of four counts as one mistake, and the fourth mistake ends the game and reveals the solution. There is no time limit.
Previous days' answers
Missed the last few puzzles? Here are the full answers for the previous days, newest first.
Sports Connections #761 — Saturday, October 24, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
WHERE A PITCHER THROWS FROM
- RUBBER
- MOUND
- BUMP
- HILL
Why: All four — RUBBER, MOUND, BUMP and HILL — share one link: where a pitcher throws from. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 2 · Easy
ACC SCHOOL LOCATIONS
- DALLAS
- CHESTNUT HILL
- PALO ALTO
- CHAPEL HILL
Why: All four — DALLAS, CHESTNUT HILL, PALO ALTO and CHAPEL HILL — share one link: acc school locations. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 3 · Tricky
GENO SMITH TEAMS
- WEST VIRGINIA
- RAIDERS
- SEAHAWKS
- JETS
Why: All four — WEST VIRGINIA, RAIDERS, SEAHAWKS and JETS — share one link: geno smith teams. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 4 · Hardest
DALLAS _____
- COWBOYS
- GOEDERT
- STARS
- CLARK
Why: This is the wordplay group: COWBOYS, GOEDERT, STARS and CLARK are joined by the pattern in the title ("dallas _____"), not by any shared sport. It is the classic trap tier — several of these words look like they belong with a sports category above, which is exactly what the puzzle wants you to try first.
Sports Connections #760 — Friday, October 23, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
MLB TEAMS TO REACH THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES THIS YEAR
- BREWERS
- RAYS
- GUARDIANS
- DODGERS
Why: All four — BREWERS, RAYS, GUARDIANS and DODGERS — share one link: mlb teams to reach the league championship series this year. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 2 · Easy
FORMER MLB TEAM NAMES
- PILOTS
- DEVIL RAYS
- EXPOS
- BROWNS
Why: All four — PILOTS, DEVIL RAYS, EXPOS and BROWNS — share one link: former mlb team names. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 3 · Tricky
BREWERS ALL-STARS, HISTORICALLY
- WEEKS
- FIELDER
- SHEETS
- FINGERS
Why: All four — WEEKS, FIELDER, SHEETS and FINGERS — share one link: brewers all-stars, historically. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 4 · Hardest
WORLD SERIES MVPS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED
- MEAGER
- METER
- CAMELS
- EYE
Why: All four — MEAGER, METER, CAMELS and EYE — share one link: world series mvps, with the first letter changed. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Sports Connections #759 — Thursday, October 22, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
WORKERS AT A STADIUM
- MASCOT
- GROUNDSKEEPER
- USHER
- SECURITY GUARD
Why: All four — MASCOT, GROUNDSKEEPER, USHER and SECURITY GUARD — share one link: workers at a stadium. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 2 · Easy
GIANTS QBS, PAST AND PRESENT
- MANNING
- TITTLE
- SIMMS
- DART
Why: All four — MANNING, TITTLE, SIMMS and DART — share one link: giants qbs, past and present. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 3 · Tricky
PASS _____
- PROTECTION
- BREAKUP
- RUSH
- INTERFERENCE
Why: This is the wordplay group: PROTECTION, BREAKUP, RUSH and INTERFERENCE are joined by the pattern in the title ("pass _____"), not by any shared sport. It is the classic trap tier — several of these words look like they belong with a sports category above, which is exactly what the puzzle wants you to try first.
Tier 4 · Hardest
ENDS IN AN NBA MVP
- SCURRY
- BOOBIRD
- GNASH
- DESERVING
Why: This is the wordplay group: SCURRY, BOOBIRD, GNASH and DESERVING are joined by the pattern in the title ("ends in an nba mvp"), not by any shared sport. It is the classic trap tier — several of these words look like they belong with a sports category above, which is exactly what the puzzle wants you to try first.
Today's grid leaned on these sports — go deeper on SportsMonkie:
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