> At a Glance
> – Monday’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle mixes golf, basketball, Mets history, and toddler toys
> – Yellow group: golf shots; Green group: basketball stats; Blue group: Mets retired numbers; Purple group: words before “block”
> – Puzzle appears in The Athletic app and website, not the NYT Games app
> Why it matters: Daily puzzle fans get a fresh sports twist on the viral word game
Monday’s Connections: Sports Edition challenge delivers four distinct themes, ranking from an easy golf clue to a quirky purple riddle.
Puzzle Overview
Connections: Sports Edition No. 469 hit The Athletic on Jan. 5, 2026. The Athletic, owned by The New York Times, offers the standalone puzzle free online and inside its app.
The Four Groups
Yellow: Golf Shots
- Approach
- Chip
- Drive
- Putt
Green: Basketball Stats (Singular)
- Block
- Foul
- Point
- Turnover
Blue: New York Mets Retired Numbers
- Piazza
- Stengel
- Strawberry
- Wright
Purple: Words Before Block
- Chop
- Pancake
- Pass
- Run
How to Play
Players identify the four hidden categories from a 16-word grid. Each color-coded group grows tougher, with purple usually the most elusive.
Key Takeaways
- Monday’s yellow group spotlights basic golf swings
- Green tests knowledge of basketball stat names in singular form
- Blue rewards Mets fans who know retired jerseys
- Purple plays on compound words ending in “block”
Today’s grid blends sports trivia with playful vocabulary, giving fans another daily brain workout.
