Connections: Sports Edition – Answers and Hints for February 23, 2026

Looking for the answers to today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle? You’ve arrive to the right place. This daily game, published by The Athletic, challenges players to group sixteen sports-related terms into four categories of four. Here’s a breakdown of the hints and solutions for the February 23, 2026, puzzle.

Understanding Connections: Sports Edition

Connections: Sports Edition is a word puzzle where the goal is to find four groups of four terms that share a common connection. The categories range in difficulty, indicated by color: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (hardest). The game is available through The Athletic’s app or online on The New York Times website.

Hints for Today’s Puzzle (February 23, 2026)

Here are four hints, progressing from the easiest to the most challenging category:

• Yellow Group Hint: “You stink!”
• Green Group Hint: 1996 movie.
• Blue Group Hint: Sunshine state.
• Purple Group Hint: Football teams, with a twist.

Answers for Today’s Puzzle (February 23, 2026)

Here are the solutions to today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle:

Yellow Category: Heckle

The four terms in this category are all ways to express disapproval at a sporting event:

• Boo
• Hiss
• Hoot
• Jeer

Green Category: Characters in “Space Jam”

This group features characters from the 1996 film Space Jam:

• Bugs
• Jordan
• Lola
• Tweety

Blue Category: Florida College Teams

These are all college sports teams located in Florida:

• Bulls
• Gators
• Owls
• Seminoles

Purple Category: NFL Teams, with the First Letter Changed

This is the most challenging category, requiring a slight alteration in thinking:

• Bolts (Colts)
• Crowns (Browns)
• Hackers (Packers)
• Paints (Saints)

Where to Play Connections: Sports Edition

Connections: Sports Edition is published daily by The Athletic, a subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The New York Times. You can play the game within The Athletic’s app or for free online.