Sports Connections Hints: Aug 17, 2025

This page shows spoiler‑layered hints for the NYT Sports Connections puzzle published on Aug 17, 2025 (2025-08-17). Step through the hints in order and only reveal the full board when you're ready.

Meta: Sports puzzle #520

Puzzle #520 · 2025-08-17 · sports

Step through today’s Connections hints

Start with broad themes, then reveal more detail about the groups and tiles only when you need it. The final button shows today's full group breakdown.

Puzzle reference: Connections #520 for 2025-08-17, edition sports, with a standard four-group board. Spoiler categories and tiles stay collapsed until you open the hint layers below.

Hint 1 – overall theme

There are 4 groups in today’s puzzle.

Themes include: DELIVER THE BALL TO A TEAMMATE, CANADIAN TEAMS, MINUS THE S, OREGON ALUMNI and 1 more.

Hint 2 – group titles

Here are the category names for each group. Try matching the tiles in the official game to these themes before you reveal any tiles.

DELIVER THE BALL TO A TEAMMATE
CANADIAN TEAMS, MINUS THE S
OREGON ALUMNI
GOLF CLUBS MINUS THE FIRST LETTER

Hint 3 – group tiles

Reveal the tiles for each group. If you only want a partial nudge, stop after reading one or two groups and go back to the official puzzle.

DELIVER THE BALL TO A TEAMMATE

GIVE

PASS

DISH

DISTRIBUTE

CANADIAN TEAMS, MINUS THE S

RAPTOR

CANUCK

FLAME

WHITECAP

OREGON ALUMNI

HERBERT

IONESCU

PRITCHARD

NIX

GOLF CLUBS MINUS THE FIRST LETTER

EDGE

UTTER

RON

RIVER

Reveal full answer

This is the full breakdown of today's Connections puzzle: group titles and all tiles, grouped together.