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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #662

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#662) — July 17, 2026

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Earlier Jul 16 This puzzle Jul 17 Later Jul 18

“Group the player nicknames that sound familiar from old games before moving to the country names.Today's puzzle has CURAÇAO, which also appeared in Connections #646 (Jul 1, 2026). It was part of Caribbean World Cup teams.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for July 17, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

1

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 77Luka's jersey number across his career.
2 AILooks like artificial intelligence but names Allen Iverson.
3 BIG TICKETKevin Garnett's famous nickname.
4 BOWLooks like a ribbon but names the stringed archery weapon.
5 CAPE VERDEIsland nation making its soccer debut.
6 CURAÇAOCaribbean side appearing for the first time.
7 DEPTH CHARTLooks like a roster list but connects entries with literal lines.
8 JORDANLooks like the basketball legend but names a country here.
9 LACROSSE STICKEquipment with a net held by strings.
10 LAKERSLuka's current NBA franchise.
11 MAVERICKSThe team where Luka became a star.
12 SLOVENIAThe country where Luka was born and raised.
13 STARBURYStephon Marbury's flashy nickname.
14 TENNIS RACKETSports tool strung tightly for hitting balls.
15 T-MACTracy McGrady's well-known shorthand.
16 UZBEKISTANCentral Asian nation stepping onto the World Cup stage.
2

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint Nations making their debut at the upcoming soccer tournament.
See Group FIRST-TIMERS IN 2026 WORLD CUP
See WordJORDAN
See WordUZBEKISTAN
See WordCAPE VERDE
See WordCURAÇAO
See Hint Court monikers for basketball stars from the 2000s.
See Group NICKNAMES OF 2000S BASKETBALL STARS
See WordBIG TICKET
See WordAI
See WordSTARBURY
See WordT-MAC
See Hint Details tied to one Slovenian basketball player's background and career.
See Group ASSOCIATED WITH LUKA DONČIĆ
See WordSLOVENIA
See WordMAVERICKS
See WordLAKERS
See Word77
See Hint Objects or charts held together by actual cords or lines.
See Group THINGS THAT HAVE STRINGS
See WordDEPTH CHART
See WordTENNIS RACKET
See WordBOW
See WordLACROSSE STICK
3

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 JORDAN Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the basketball legend, but here it's a country name instead.
2 AI Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of artificial intelligence, but here it's a basketball player's initials.
3 BOW Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing a ribbon or a gesture, but here it's the archery weapon that uses a string.
4 DEPTH CHART Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably seeing it as a sports roster term, but here it's a list connected by literal lines.

NYT Sports Connections answers for July 17, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y FIRST-TIMERS IN 2026 WORLD CUP · Yellow · easiest
  • JORDAN
  • UZBEKISTAN
  • CAPE VERDE
  • CURAÇAO

JORDAN, UZBEKISTAN, CAPE VERDE and CURAÇAO are all countries making their first appearance in the 2026 World Cup. JORDAN is the sneakiest because it shares a name with a famous athlete.

G NICKNAMES OF 2000S BASKETBALL STARS · Green · easy
  • BIG TICKET
  • AI
  • STARBURY
  • T-MAC

BIG TICKET, AI, STARBURY and T-MAC are nicknames of 2000s NBA stars. AI is the most common trap since it reads as modern tech.

B ASSOCIATED WITH LUKA DONČIĆ · Blue · medium
  • SLOVENIA
  • MAVERICKS
  • LAKERS
  • 77

SLOVENIA, MAVERICKS, LAKERS and 77 are all associated with Luka Dončić. 77 stands out as his jersey number that links directly to his teams.

P THINGS THAT HAVE STRINGS · Purple · hardest
  • DEPTH CHART
  • TENNIS RACKET
  • BOW
  • LACROSSE STICK

DEPTH CHART, TENNIS RACKET, BOW and LACROSSE STICK are things that have strings. BOW is the trickiest because it can mean several other things first.

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