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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #721

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#721) — September 14, 2026

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Earlier Sep 13 This puzzle Sep 14 Later Sep 15

“When a word feels like it fits two categories, commit to the one that needs it most — don't let a versatile word block you from finishing a group.BACKHAND appeared in Connections #673 (Jul 28, 2026) as part of tennis shot descriptors. TIE appeared in Connections #667 (Jul 22, 2026) as part of phrases that precede BREAK.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for September 14, 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 BACKHANDTaken from the non-dominant side — also a tennis term, which is the main trap here.
2 BRAUNRyan Braun — won the 2011 NL MVP, though his career was later clouded by a PED suspension.
3 BRYCEBryce Young — NFL quarterback, not Bryce Harper the baseball player, which is the intended misdirect.
4 CYCy Young — the Hall of Fame pitcher whose name now graces the award given to each league's best pitcher.
5 DEADLOCKA tie so stubborn that neither side can break through — often used in tense playoff contexts.
6 DRAWCommon in soccer and boxing — a result where both sides finish level.
7 FINGERSRollie Fingers — best known as an Oakland A, but he won the 1981 AL MVP with Milwaukee.
8 SLAPThe big-wind-up, full-power hockey shot — the loudest one in the rink.
9 SNAPA quick hybrid shot between a wrist and slap — faster release, less telegraph.
10 STALEMATEBorrowed from chess, where it means neither player can move — here it means a contest stuck at even.
11 STEVESteve Young — Hall of Fame 49ers quarterback and one of the most efficient passers in NFL history.
12 TIEThe everyday American word for a game that ends with equal scores.
13 TRAETrae Young — Atlanta Hawks point guard known for his deep three-pointers and playmaking.
14 WRISTA controlled, accurate shot driven by flicking the wrists — no big wind-up needed.
15 YELICHChristian Yelich — won the NL MVP in 2018 and finished as runner-up in 2019.
16 YOUNTRobin Yount — the only Brewer to win MVP twice, in 1982 and 1989.
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 Nobody won — the scoreboard says so.
See Group EVEN MATCH
See WordDRAW
See WordTIE
See WordDEADLOCK
See WordSTALEMATE
See Hint The puck is moving; it's how you release it that matters.
See Group TYPES OF HOCKEY SHOTS
See WordWRIST
See WordSLAP
See WordSNAP
See WordBACKHAND
See Hint Four men brought Milwaukee's biggest individual hardware home.
See Group BREWERS TO WIN MVP
See WordYOUNT
See WordFINGERS
See WordBRAUN
See WordYELICH
See Hint One surname, four athletes from four different sports.
See Group _____ YOUNG
See WordTRAE
See WordCY
See WordSTEVE
See WordBRYCE
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 DRAW Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of it as a tied result, but sports-savvy solvers may second-guess themselves because DRAW is also a golf shot shape — that association could tempt you to file it with other shot types instead.
2 FINGERS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're almost certainly picturing Rollie Fingers as an Oakland A's legend, but he won his MVP award while wearing a different uniform — don't let the A's association push him out of the right group.
3 BRYCE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading this as Bryce Harper the baseball slugger — that's the bait — but the puzzle is using it as a first name for someone who plays a completely different position in a completely different sport.
4 SNAP Tap to see why this word traps.
You're likely picturing a football center's snap — that's the obvious reading — but the puzzle is using it as a shooting technique, not a way to start a play.

NYT Sports Connections answers for September 14, 2026

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

Y EVEN MATCH · Yellow · easiest
  • DRAW
  • TIE
  • DEADLOCK
  • STALEMATE

DRAW, TIE, DEADLOCK and STALEMATE all describe a contest where neither side comes out ahead. STALEMATE is the most dramatic-sounding of the four — it carries a chess connotation of being stuck, but in general sports usage it simply means no winner.

G TYPES OF HOCKEY SHOTS · Green · easy
  • WRIST
  • SLAP
  • SNAP
  • BACKHAND

WRIST, SLAP, SNAP and BACKHAND are all types of shots in ice hockey, defined by the motion used to fire the puck. The SLAP shot is the most powerful and iconic — it involves a full wind-up — while the SNAP shot is a quicker hybrid that borrows from both the wrist and slap.

B BREWERS TO WIN MVP · Blue · medium
  • YOUNT
  • FINGERS
  • BRAUN
  • YELICH

YOUNT, FINGERS, BRAUN and YELICH all won the MLB Most Valuable Player award as Milwaukee Brewers. Robin Yount won it twice (1982 and 1989), making him the most decorated Brewer on this list.

P _____ YOUNG · Purple · hardest
  • TRAE
  • CY
  • STEVE
  • BRYCE

TRAE, CY, STEVE and BRYCE all precede YOUNG to name famous athletes: Trae Young (NBA), Cy Young (MLB, the award's namesake), Steve Young (NFL Hall of Fame quarterback) and Bryce Young (NFL quarterback). CY is the sneakiest — most solvers think of the award rather than the man, but Cy Young the pitcher is who the category wants.

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