The NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for September 11, 2026, marks the 718th entry in the daily series. Today’s grid focuses on injury terminology, baseball fundamentals, and high-flying basketball maneuvers, along with a group of world-class athletes.
Hints for Today’s Connections
If you need a push in the right direction without seeing the full solution yet, these hints break down the themes of the four groups:
- Yellow Group: These terms represent the availability of a player leading up to a game.
- Green Group: Focuses on the different methods a batter can use to safely reach the first bag in baseball.
- Blue Group: These are surnames of specific elite athletes who shared the court during a major international event in 2024.
- Purple Group: Every word in this set can be followed by a specific four-letter basketball term.
Stronger Hints: For the Yellow group, think about an NFL injury report. For the Blue group, don’t assume they all play for the same WNBA team; look for a common national team gold medal instead. For Purple, think about footwear and dunk contest highlights.
Full Answers for NYT Connections: Sports Edition #718
SPOILER WARNING: The full groups and answers for today’s puzzle are listed below.
Yellow: NFL Injury Report Statuses
- DOUBTFUL
- OUT
- PROBABLE
- QUESTIONABLE
While these terms are familiar to fantasy football players, the “Probable” designation is a bit of a legacy term. According to NFL.com, the league officially removed the “Probable” status from its injury reports starting with the 2016 season to simplify the reporting process.
Green: Ways to Reach First Base
- ERROR
- HIT BY PITCH
- SINGLE
- WALK
This category covers the various ways a plate appearance results in a runner occupying first base, ranging from standard hits to defensive miscues.
Blue: 2024 USA Women’s Olympic Basketball Team Members
- GRAY
- LOYD
- WILSON
- YOUNG
It is easy to misidentify this group as members of the Las Vegas Aces because Chelsea Gray, A’ja Wilson, and Jackie Young are all stars for that franchise. However, Jewell Loyd plays for the Seattle Storm. The unifying factor for all four is their membership on the gold medal-winning 2024 USA Women’s Olympic Basketball Team.
Purple: ____ Dunk
- NIKE
- REVERSE
- SLAM
- WINDMILL
This group combines basketball actions with branding. While Slam, Reverse, and Windmill describe specific types of dunks performed on the court, the Nike Dunk is a celebrated line of footwear that remains a staple in basketball culture.
