Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 4, #223

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Connections: Sports Edition is a mix of easy and hard. If you start to recognize a certain state's teams, you'll do well. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That's a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn't show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic's own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Take the bases.

Green group hint: Golden State.

Blue group hint: Same first name.

Purple group hint: Hockey teams.

Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: A base runner's actions.

Green group: California college teams.

Blue group: Reggies.

Purple group: First words of NHL team names.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The completed NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle for May 4, 2025, #223.

NYT/Screenshot by CNET

The yellow words in today's Connections

The theme is a base runner's actions. The four answers are lead, slide, steal and tag.

The green words in today's Connections

The theme is California college teams. The four answers are Bears, Bruins, Cardinal and Trojans.

The blue words in today's Connections

The theme is Reggies. The four answers are Bush, Jackson, Miller and White.

The purple words in today's Connections

The theme is first words of NHL team names. The four answers are blue, golden, maple and red.