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 might be tough today. I'm not really sure the yellow topic relates to sports -- it's more games -- but I'll go along with it.

As NYT Connections continues to expand its fanbase, it is increasingly being seen not just as a game but as a daily exercise in critical thinking and pattern recognition.