NYT Connections: Sports Edition for Nov. 28, 2025 (#431)

Written by Anish – TechBoltX | Updated: November 28, 2025

Overview — Connections: Sports Edition (#431)

Today’s Athletic-published Connections: Sports Edition blends brand recognition, Olympic apparatus terminology, elite women’s soccer names and a fun NBA family theme. If you found parts of the puzzle tricky, this guide walks you through clear hints, why each group fits, and the exact answers so you can check your board quickly.

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Hints (color-by-color)

• Yellow hint — Shoes: Think major basketball sneaker brands.
• Green hint — Think Olympics: Look for the first words in gymnastics apparatus names.
• Blue hint — Kick the ball: These are standout women’s soccer stars.
• Purple hint — Family affair: NBA father/son combinations — last names listed for the family member.

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Today’s Answers (Nov. 28, 2025)

🟨 Yellow group — Basketball sneaker brands

• Adidas
• Jordan
• Nike
• Under Armour

All four are instantly recognizable basketball footwear or apparel brands; Jordan and Under Armour are especially tied to signature basketball lines.

🟩 Green group — First words of gymnastics apparatus

• Balance (balance beam)
• Parallel (parallel bars)
• Pommel (pommel horse)
• Uneven (uneven bars)

Each word is the leading word in a named apparatus used in men’s or women’s gymnastics events—perfect for the Olympic-themed hint.

🟦 Blue group — Women’s soccer stars

• Bonmatí (Aitana Bonmatí)
• Girma (Naomi Girma)
• Marta (Marta Vieira da Silva)
• Rodman (likely referencing a top player with that surname; puzzle uses surname-style entries)

These names represent elite female players known for club and international success; recognizing them anchors the blue group quickly.

🟪 Purple group — Basketball father/son combos

• Barry (Rick Barry / Brent Barry — family surname Barry)
• James (LeBron James / Bronny James)
• Pippen (Scottie Pippen / Scotty Pippen Jr.)
• Sabonis (Arvydas Sabonis / Domantas Sabonis)

This clever group lists the family surname; the hint “family affair” points to NBA legacies where fathers and sons played professionally.

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Quick solving tip

Start with the concrete categories (yellow brands and green apparatus words) — they’re the easiest anchors. Once those fill, proper nouns in sports (blue and purple) separate cleanly.

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FAQ — Connections: Sports Edition (Nov. 28, 2025)

Q: Where can I play Connections: Sports Edition?

A: It’s published by The Athletic — playable in The Athletic app and on their website (free version available).

Q: Is the Sports Edition different from regular Connections?

A: Yes — it focuses exclusively on sports-related categories, teams, athletes and gear.

Q: Does the puzzle reset daily?

A: Yes; the Sports Edition refreshes each day at midnight ET.