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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #718

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#718) — September 11, 2026

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Earlier Sep 10 This puzzle Sep 11 Later Sep 12

“Lock in the NFL injury report words first — that group is the cleanest anchor on the board, and clearing it stops those words from muddying the baseball category.Today's puzzle has YOUNG, which has appeared twice before. It was part of a group about inexperienced people in Connections #707 (Aug 31, 2026), and before that among the last four NFL Draft number one picks in Connections #681 (Aug 5, 2026).”

NYT Sports Connections hints for September 11, 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 DOUBTFULOne step below questionable — the player is unlikely but not officially ruled out.
2 ERRORThe fielder's mistake that gifts the batter a free base.
3 GRAYChelsea Gray — Aces point guard, not a colour.
4 HIT BY PITCHThe batter gets plunked and earns first base the hard way.
5 LOYDCourtney Loyd — Las Vegas Aces guard.
6 NIKENot just the brand — NIKE DUNK is an iconic sneaker line, not a move you'd see in a game.
7 OUTReads like a baseball term, but here it means the player is officially ruled out of the game.
8 PROBABLEThe most optimistic injury tag — the player is almost certain to suit up.
9 QUESTIONABLEThe middle-ground designation — a coin-flip on game day.
10 REVERSEREVERSE DUNK — the player spins away from the basket before throwing it down.
11 SINGLEA clean base hit — the most common way to reach first.
12 SLAMSLAM DUNK — the most famous compound, also a basketball magazine.
13 WALKFour balls and the batter strolls to first — nothing to do with an injury.
14 WILSONA'ja Wilson — multiple WNBA MVP and the Aces' cornerstone, not an NFL quarterback.
15 WINDMILLWINDMILL DUNK — the arm swings in a full circle before the finish.
16 YOUNGJackie Young — Aces guard; here it's a surname, not an adjective.
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 A team doctor files this paperwork before Sunday's game.
See Group NFL INJURY REPORT DESIGNATIONS
See WordPROBABLE
See WordQUESTIONABLE
See WordDOUBTFUL
See WordOUT
See Hint Each of these gets a batter's foot on the bag.
See Group WAYS TO REACH FIRST BASE
See WordSINGLE
See WordWALK
See WordHIT BY PITCH
See WordERROR
See Hint These surnames belong to a championship WNBA squad.
See Group LAS VEGAS ACES
See WordGRAY
See WordLOYD
See WordWILSON
See WordYOUNG
See Hint Each word lands in front of one specific basketball move.
See Group _____ DUNK
See WordNIKE
See WordSLAM
See WordREVERSE
See WordWINDMILL
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 OUT Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as a baseball out — a batter being retired — but here the puzzle is using it as an NFL injury report term meaning a player is ruled out entirely.
2 WALK Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of walking somewhere on foot, or even a player hobbling with an injury, but here it's a baseball term for reaching first base on four balls.
3 GRAY Tap to see why this word traps.
You're almost certainly reading it as a colour, but here it's a surname — a WNBA player, not a shade on a paint chip.
4 NIKE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the sportswear brand and its shoes, but here it completes a compound phrase about a specific type of dunk, not a brand category.
5 WILSON Tap to see why this word traps.
You're likely thinking of a famous NFL quarterback, but here it's a WNBA player's surname, not a football connection.

NYT Sports Connections answers for September 11, 2026

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

Y NFL INJURY REPORT DESIGNATIONS · Yellow · easiest
  • PROBABLE
  • QUESTIONABLE
  • DOUBTFUL
  • OUT

PROBABLE, QUESTIONABLE, DOUBTFUL and OUT are the four official NFL injury report designations used to indicate a player's likelihood of playing. OUT is the sneakiest — most solvers instinctively read it as a baseball term before the football context clicks.

G WAYS TO REACH FIRST BASE · Green · easy
  • SINGLE
  • WALK
  • HIT BY PITCH
  • ERROR

SINGLE, WALK, HIT BY PITCH and ERROR are all ways a batter can legally reach first base in baseball. HIT BY PITCH is the most painful route — the batter earns the base by taking one for the team.

B LAS VEGAS ACES · Blue · medium
  • GRAY
  • LOYD
  • WILSON
  • YOUNG

GRAY, LOYD, WILSON and YOUNG are all players on the Las Vegas Aces WNBA roster — Chelsea Gray, Courtney Loyd, A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young. WILSON is the anchor name here — A'ja Wilson is a multiple WNBA MVP and the Aces' cornerstone, making her the group's biggest aha moment.

P _____ DUNK · Purple · hardest
  • NIKE
  • SLAM
  • REVERSE
  • WINDMILL

NIKE, SLAM, REVERSE and WINDMILL all precede the word DUNK to form a recognisable phrase or type. NIKE DUNK is the odd one out — it's a sneaker silhouette, while the others describe actual in-game dunking styles.

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