NYT Connections Sports Edition – January 31, 2026 (#495)

NYT Connections: Sports Edition – January 31, 2026 (Puzzle #495) – Hints & Full Answers

Looking for today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition answers for January 31, 2026 (#495)? Here are spoiler-free hints, the complete groupings, clear explanations, and solving tips — especially fun if you’re into NBA coaching history, classic 90s sports movies, or Ohio teams!

Today’s puzzle was described as “a tough one” with unusual words and clever overlaps — lots of red herrings!

Puzzle date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
Puzzle number: 495
Difficulty: 4/5 (per The Athletic community)
Game: Connections: Sports Edition (by The Athletic / The New York Times)
Play free: theathletic.com/connections or The Athletic app

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Progressive Hints for Today’s Connections: Sports Edition (#495)

Ranked easiest (yellow) to hardest (purple):

Color	Hint	Difficulty
🟨 Yellow	The Buckeye State	★★☆☆☆
🟩 Green	Hoops leaders	★★★☆☆
🟦 Blue	Sports cinema	★★★☆☆
🟪 Purple	Hoops teams hidden in words	★★★★☆

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Full Answers – Connections Sports Edition #495 (Jan 31, 2026)

🟨 Yellow – An Ohio athlete

• BENGAL (Cincinnati Bengals NFL player)
• BLUE JACKET (Columbus Blue Jackets NHL player)
• GUARDIAN (Cleveland Guardians MLB player)
• RED (Cincinnati Reds MLB player / “Red” as in Cincinnati Reds)

(Professional athletes from Ohio’s major league teams)

🟩 Green – NBA head coaches

• BICKERSTAFF (J.B. Bickerstaff – Cavaliers, etc.)
• BROWN (Mike Brown – current Kings coach, ex-Cavs)
• KIDD (Jason Kidd – Mavericks head coach)
• LUE (Tyronn Lue – Clippers head coach)

(Current or recent high-profile NBA head coaches)

🟦 Blue – Sports films of 1996

• HAPPY GILMORE (golf comedy with Adam Sandler)
• KINGPIN (bowling comedy with Bill Murray & Woody Harrelson)
• SPACE JAM (basketball + Looney Tunes classic)
• TIN CUP (golf drama/romance with Kevin Costner)

(All iconic sports movies released in 1996)

🟪 Purple – Starts with an NBA team, in singular form

• KNICKKNACK (starts with “Knicks” – New York Knicks)
• NETWORK (starts with “Net” – Brooklyn Nets)
• SPURRIER (starts with “Spur” – San Antonio Spurs)
• SUNDANCE (starts with “Sun” – Phoenix Suns)

(Word/phrase beginning with the singular form of an NBA team name)

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Quick One-Word Hints (if you’re still guessing)

• Yellow → Ohio
• Green → NBA coaches
• Blue → 1996 movies
• Purple → NBA team hidden

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Why Today’s Puzzle Was Tough (and Clever)

• Ohio overlap — “Red” could mislead toward Cincinnati Reds or other teams; “Guardian” is newer branding (post-Indians).
• NBA coaches — Current names, but some solvers chased retired legends first.
• 1996 films — Nostalgic but specific year; “Space Jam” was the easiest entry point for most.
• Purple misdirection — Hidden team names in longer words — “knickknack” and “network” tripped many up before the pattern clicked.
• Average solve — High difficulty; many used 5–7 guesses or lost a life on overlaps.

Pro tip — Start with obvious sports pairs (SPACE JAM + HAPPY GILMORE = 90s films), then look for state/team clusters (Ohio) and wordplay (hidden teams).

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FAQ – NYT Connections Sports Edition January 31, 2026 (#495)

Q: What are the answers for Connections Sports Edition #495 (Jan 31, 2026)?
A:
🟨 An Ohio athlete: BENGAL, BLUE JACKET, GUARDIAN, RED
🟩 NBA head coaches: BICKERSTAFF, BROWN, KIDD, LUE
🟦 Sports films of 1996: HAPPY GILMORE, KINGPIN, SPACE JAM, TIN CUP
🟪 Starts with an NBA team (singular): KNICKKNACK, NETWORK, SPURRIER, SUNDANCE

Q: Why “RED” for Ohio athlete?
A: Short for Cincinnati Reds (MLB) player — common fan shorthand.

Q: Which NBA teams are hidden in purple?
A: Knicks (KNICKknack), Nets (NETwork), Spurs (SPURrier), Suns (SUNDANCE).

Q: Where can I play Connections: Sports Edition?
A: Free online at theathletic.com/connections or in The Athletic app (no subscription needed for daily puzzle).

Q: How many mistakes allowed?
A: Four lives — after that the puzzle ends.

Q: Was today’s Sports Edition harder than regular Connections?
A: Yes — niche NBA coaching names + 1996 movie specificity + wordplay purple made it tougher (4/5 difficulty).

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Nailed it? Drop your solve count or favorite category in the comments!
🟨🟩🟦🟪 Perfect game? Share the win. Struggled on purple? You’re not alone — those hidden teams got many!

Bookmark for daily NYT Connections: Sports Edition hints & answers. Happy puzzling — and go Bucks (or whoever you’re rooting for)! 🏀⚾🏒