Looking for help with today's NYT Connections Sports Edition? Here are all the hints and answers for Sports Edition #543 on March 20, 2026.
What Is NYT Connections Sports Edition?
NYT Connections Sports Edition is the sports-themed variant of the popular NYT Connections puzzle, published daily on weekdays by The Athletic — the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The New York Times. It follows the same format as the main Connections game: group 16 words into four categories of four, with each group sharing a hidden sporting theme. Categories are colour-coded by difficulty — yellow is easiest, green is hard, and purple is the trickiest. Unlike the main Connections, Sports Edition does not appear in the NYT Games app but is available through The Athletic's app or free to play online.
If you enjoy this puzzle, also check out our March 19, 2026 NYT Connections Sports Edition #542 hints and answers.
How to Play Connections Sports Edition
- Group four words that share a hidden sporting theme
- Start with the colour you feel most confident about
- Use the shuffle button to spot patterns you may have missed
- You get four mistakes before the game ends
For the regular puzzle, check out the March 19, 2026 NYT Connections #1012 hints and answers as well.
Hints for Connections Sports Edition #543 — March 20, 2026
Not ready for the full answers? Here are gentle category hints:
- 🟨 Yellow (Easiest): Think about ways to let someone go — from a job or a team.
- 🟩 Green: These are specific types of kicks used during a football match.
- 🟦 Blue: Four college teams that made it to a major tournament's final weekend last year.
- 🟪 Purple (Hardest): A Florida city's name can follow each of these words — but watch out, they're all associated with different sports franchises.
Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories — March 20, 2026
Here are the actual category names:
- 🟨 Yellow: PART WAYS
- 🟩 Green: TYPES OF KICKS IN SOCCER
- 🟦 Blue: LAST YEAR'S WOMEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT FINAL FOUR
- 🟪 Purple: MIAMI ____
Full answers:
- 🟨 PART WAYS: Axe, Can, Fire, Sack
- 🟩 TYPES OF KICKS IN SOCCER: Bicycle, Corner, Indirect, Penalty
- 🟦 LAST YEAR'S WOMEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT FINAL FOUR: Bruins, Gamecocks, Huskies, Longhorns
- 🟪 MIAMI ____: Dolphins, Grand Prix, Heat, Redhawks
Today's puzzle had a few clever traps. The yellow group — Axe, Can, Fire, Sack — all mean to dismiss someone from employment, but they look like they could belong to completely different categories. Can in particular might read as a container, and Sack as something you carry. The purple group was equally devious: Dolphins (NFL), Heat (NBA), Grand Prix (Formula 1), and Redhawks (college sports) all follow "Miami" but span four completely different sports — making it hard to spot the city connection without testing every word.
Tips for Solving Today
- Start with the soccer kicks. Bicycle, Corner, Indirect, and Penalty are well-defined football terms, making the green group one of the cleaner solves today. If you know the sport, this is your safest entry point.
- Don't let Can and Sack mislead you. Both words have everyday meanings unrelated to employment, but in today's context they're firmly in the "Part Ways" yellow group alongside Axe and Fire.
- Think geographically for purple. Once you realise "Miami ____" is the connector, it unlocks Dolphins, Heat, Grand Prix, and Redhawks — even though they cover the NFL, NBA, F1, and NCAA respectively.
- Use the NCAA Final Four as a process of elimination tool. If you know women's college basketball, Bruins (UCLA), Gamecocks (South Carolina), Huskies (UConn), and Longhorns (Texas) lock in the blue group quickly — freeing up the remaining words for the trickier categories.
Don't feel discouraged if today's puzzle stumped you. A brand new Connections Sports Edition puzzle resets each weekday, and we'll have fresh hints and answers ready.