These hints cover Connections: Sports Edition #758 for October 21, 2026. Several tiles invite an everyday reading as well as a sports reading, so check that your proposed connection fits all four words before committing to a group.
Start with a gentle clue, move to the stronger group hint if needed, or reveal two words from just one color. The complete answers and individual explanations stay in their own closed panels until you choose to open them.
Start with a gentle clue. Two-word hints, answers and explanations stay hidden until you open them.
Playing the regular word puzzle? Regular Connections guide — a different puzzle
Gentle Hints for Puzzle #758
Try one clue for the group you are working on. You do not need to read all four.
- Yellow
Think of different routes from hand to hoop.
- Green
One home city connects these names.
- Blue
These names have been on the receiving end.
- Purple
The same starter is missing four times.
Stronger Group Hints
These clues narrow the theme without listing the four words. Stop here if a theme clicks.
- Yellow
Four terms describe basketball shots or scoring finishes, including one taken without a defender contesting it.
- Green
Look for three professional clubs and a university's teams sharing a Missouri city.
- Blue
Read four tiles as surnames of wide receivers associated with Green Bay, across different seasons.
- Purple
Put one color before each tile: three results name teams, and the other is a marking on an ice rink.
Two-Word Hints — Partial Answers
Still stuck on one color? Reveal two words that belong together in that group. This gives away part of the answer, so open only the color you need.
Yellow Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- ALLEY-OOP
- DUNK
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Green Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- BLUES
- CARDINALS
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Blue Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- DRIVER
- GOLDEN
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Purple Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- JAYS
- JACKETS
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Connections Sports Answers for October 21, 2026
Ready to check your solution? Opening this panel reveals all four category names and all 16 words for #758.
Reveal all four answer groups for #758
Yellow
BASKETBALL SHOTS
- ALLEY-OOP
- DUNK
- FADEAWAY
- FREE THROW
Green
ST. LOUIS TEAMS
- BLUES
- CARDINALS
- BILLIKENS
- ST. LOUIS CITY
Blue
PACKERS WRS, PAST AND PRESENT
- DRIVER
- GOLDEN
- ADAMS
- NELSON
Purple
BLUE _____
- JAYS
- JACKETS
- LINE
- DEVILS
Why These Groups Work
This section explains each word and a possible wrong turn. It contains spoilers even if the answer panel above is closed.
Reveal the explanations and possible traps
Yellow
BASKETBALL SHOTS
The shared idea is an attempt to put the basketball through the hoop. An ALLEY-OOP combines a lob with an airborne finish, a DUNK sends the ball down through the rim, a FADEAWAY is released while moving away from the basket, and a FREE THROW is an unhindered attempt from behind the free-throw line. These are different techniques and situations, rather than four names for the same shot.
How each word fits
- ALLEY-OOP
-
A lob near the basket followed by an attempted catch and score while the finisher is still airborne. The term can also name the pass, but this group uses the scoring play.
- DUNK
-
A finish that sends the ball through the basket from above the rim.
- FADEAWAY
-
A shot released as the shooter leans or jumps away from the basket, creating separation from a defender.
- FREE THROW
-
An unhindered attempt from behind the free-throw line, worth one point when made.
Green
ST. LOUIS TEAMS
The NHL's Blues, MLB's Cardinals, Saint Louis University's Billikens and MLS club St. Louis CITY SC share a city. Their sports and competition levels vary; St. Louis is the common link. BILLIKENS therefore belongs even though it represents university athletics rather than a professional franchise.
How each word fits
- BLUES
-
The St. Louis Blues, an NHL hockey team.
- CARDINALS
-
The St. Louis Cardinals, the city's Major League Baseball club.
- BILLIKENS
-
The name used by Saint Louis University's athletic teams, supplying the college-sports member of this group.
- ST. LOUIS CITY
-
St. Louis CITY SC, the city's Major League Soccer club. The tile omits the final SC.
Blue
PACKERS WRS, PAST AND PRESENT
Expand the surnames to Donald Driver, Matthew Golden, Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson. All four have a Green Bay Packers wide-receiver connection. The category explicitly spans past and present, so it does not require the four players to share a current roster or to have played together.
How each word fits
- DRIVER
-
Donald Driver, the former Green Bay Packers wide receiver identified in the team's Hall of Fame biography.
- GOLDEN
-
Matthew Golden, listed as a wide receiver on the Packers' official player page. The tile uses his surname.
- ADAMS
-
Davante Adams, whose time as a Packers receiver supplies the historical team link.
- NELSON
-
Jordy Nelson, another former Packers wide receiver, as documented by the team's historian.
Purple
BLUE _____
Add BLUE directly before each tile to make Blue Jays, Blue Jackets, blue line and Blue Devils. This is a shared-word construction, so the completed expressions need not all identify the same kind of thing. LINE is essential because it makes the hockey term blue line, even though it is not a team nickname.
How each word fits
- JAYS
-
BLUE + JAYS makes Blue Jays, as in Toronto's baseball team.
- JACKETS
-
BLUE + JACKETS makes Blue Jackets, Columbus's NHL team.
- LINE
-
BLUE + LINE makes blue line. The two blue lines divide a hockey rink into attacking, neutral and defending zones.
- DEVILS
-
BLUE + DEVILS makes Blue Devils, the name associated with Duke University's teams.
Connections Sports Edition FAQ
Which date and puzzle number do these Sports hints cover?
This guide covers The Athletic's Connections: Sports Edition for October 21, 2026, puzzle #758. Sports Edition has its own board and numbering, separate from regular NYT Connections.
How can I get one more clue without revealing every answer?
Try a gentle hint and then that color's stronger group hint. If you need actual tiles, open only that color's two-word panel. The full answer groups and explanations have separate closed panels.
Who is GOLDEN in today's Packers group?
Matthew Golden, the wide receiver on the Packers' official player page. DRIVER, ADAMS and NELSON likewise stand for Donald Driver, Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson; all four surnames fit the Green Bay receiver connection.
Why does BILLIKENS fit alongside professional teams?
The connection is St. Louis, rather than a single league or professional status. BILLIKENS represents Saint Louis University athletics, so it fits the same city-based group as the other three tiles.
Why is LINE included with JAYS, JACKETS and DEVILS?
The rule is to put BLUE before each word. Blue line is a hockey-rink term, while the other three completed expressions are team names. Requiring four teams would exclude the tile that makes the word pattern work.
Does ALLEY-OOP mean only a pass?
It can refer to the lobbed pass or to the play in which a player tries to catch it and score before landing. The basketball-shots category uses that airborne scoring-play sense.
Sources and Verification
Official puzzle data and references for this edition.
View the sources used for this edition
The date, category titles and all 16 tiles were checked against The Athletic's official October 21, 2026 puzzle data. Player identities and team affiliations were checked with official team, league and university sources; basketball vocabulary and the hockey blue line were checked with dictionaries and governing-body references. The hints and explanations were written for this edition. This is source and factual verification; the official game was not completed during the review.
- The Athletic - official Connections: Sports Edition
- American Heritage Dictionary - alley-oop
- American Heritage Dictionary - dunk
- Collins English Dictionary - basketball sense of fadeaway
- NBA Official - Rule 4, free-throw definition
- NHL - official St. Louis Blues website
- MLB - official St. Louis Cardinals website
- Saint Louis University - official Billikens athletics website
- Major League Soccer - St. Louis CITY SC
- Green Bay Packers - Donald Driver biography
- Green Bay Packers - Matthew Golden player page
- Green Bay Packers - Jordy Nelson history and Davante Adams receiving connection
- MLB - official Toronto Blue Jays website
- NHL - official Columbus Blue Jackets website
- International Ice Hockey Federation - blue lines and rink zones
- Duke University - official Blue Devils athletics website
Connections Solved is an independent guide and is not affiliated with The Athletic or The New York Times.