Need Connections: Sports Edition hints for November 5, 2026? Puzzle #773 rewards recognizing what a name represents: a place, a club, a person or a clue about someone. A plausible sporting association is only a starting point; look for the relationship that fits all four cards.
Use the gentle clues first, then the stronger group hints. Optional two-word reveals, complete answers and detailed explanations begin in closed panels, so you can stop at the amount of help you want.
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 #773
Try one clue for the group you are working on. You do not need to read all four.
- Yellow
Think about where future opening ceremonies are scheduled.
- Green
These colorful names belong a step below the majors.
- Blue
These cards sketch one elite center's identity.
- Purple
Read the less obvious tiles as people's last names.
Stronger Group Hints
These clues narrow the theme without listing the four words. Stop here if a theme clicks.
- Yellow
Two summer editions and two winter editions connect these places.
- Green
Add home locations to identify four clubs at baseball's Triple-A level.
- Blue
Match a Serbian basketball star with his NBA club, nickname and major individual honor.
- Purple
These surnames identify four men behind NHL benches.
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
- LOS ANGELES
- FRENCH ALPS
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Green Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- SPACE COWBOYS
- TIDES
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Blue Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- SERBIA
- NUGGETS
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Purple Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- MAURICE
- ST. LOUIS
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Connections Sports Answers for November 5, 2026
Ready to check your solution? Opening this panel reveals all four category names and all 16 words for #773.
Reveal all four answer groups for #773
Yellow
FUTURE OLYMPIC HOSTS
- LOS ANGELES
- FRENCH ALPS
- BRISBANE
- UTAH
Green
TRIPLE-A BASEBALL TEAMS
- SPACE COWBOYS
- TIDES
- MUD HENS
- CHIHUAHUAS
Blue
ASSOCIATED WITH NIKOLA JOKIĆ
- SERBIA
- NUGGETS
- JOKER
- MVP
Purple
NHL HEAD COACHES
- MAURICE
- ST. LOUIS
- BRUNETTE
- MUSE
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
FUTURE OLYMPIC HOSTS
These locations are scheduled to host upcoming Olympic Games as of this November 5, 2026 puzzle: LOS ANGELES in 2028, the FRENCH ALPS in 2030, BRISBANE in 2032 and UTAH in 2034. The first and third host the Summer Games; the second and fourth host the Winter Games. The IOC identifies the last location more fully as Salt Lake City-Utah, so the group includes regions as well as cities.
How each word fits
- LOS ANGELES
-
LOS ANGELES supplies the 2028 Summer Olympic host. Its place in this group comes from the scheduled Games, rather than from any one local professional team.
- FRENCH ALPS
-
FRENCH ALPS supplies the 2030 Winter Olympic host region. The regional name is intentional; the category does not require four city names.
- BRISBANE
-
BRISBANE supplies the Australian host of the 2032 Summer Olympics. It is the second summer edition in this set, following Los Angeles.
- UTAH
-
UTAH points to the 2034 Winter Olympics, listed by the IOC as Salt Lake City-Utah. Keep the official tile's shorter wording while recognizing the fuller host designation.
Green
TRIPLE-A BASEBALL TEAMS
SPACE COWBOYS, TIDES, MUD HENS and CHIHUAHUAS complete the names of four Triple-A baseball clubs: Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Norfolk Tides, Toledo Mud Hens and El Paso Chihuahuas. Their common link is a level of Minor League Baseball, rather than a shared kind of animal or an identical naming pattern.
How each word fits
- SPACE COWBOYS
-
SPACE COWBOYS completes Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Houston Astros' Triple-A affiliate. Treat the entire two-word nickname as one tile.
- TIDES
-
TIDES completes Norfolk Tides, the Baltimore Orioles' Triple-A affiliate. Its ordinary water-related meaning gives way to the club name in this group.
- MUD HENS
-
MUD HENS completes Toledo Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers' Triple-A affiliate. Both words belong to the same team nickname.
- CHIHUAHUAS
-
CHIHUAHUAS completes El Paso Chihuahuas, the San Diego Padres' Triple-A affiliate. The team identity supplies the link, rather than the dog-breed meaning alone.
Blue
ASSOCIATED WITH NIKOLA JOKIĆ
SERBIA, NUGGETS, JOKER and MVP each identify an association with Nikola Jokić: his national team, his Denver NBA club, a familiar nickname and an individual award he has won. This set deliberately mixes types of clue. The four cards do not need to be four teams, four countries or four nicknames.
How each word fits
- SERBIA
-
SERBIA identifies the national team Jokić represents. FIBA's account of his Olympic squad selection supplies the international-basketball connection.
- NUGGETS
-
NUGGETS identifies Denver, Jokić's NBA team. This is the basketball club among today's team-name tiles.
- JOKER
-
JOKER is a familiar Jokić nickname, also used by FIBA when discussing him. Read it as a player's nickname, rather than as a playing card.
- MVP
-
MVP means Most Valuable Player. Jokić won the NBA's regular-season award in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2023-24; these are season labels rather than single calendar years.
Purple
NHL HEAD COACHES
Read MAURICE, ST. LOUIS, BRUNETTE and MUSE as surnames: Paul Maurice, Martin St. Louis, Andrew Brunette and Dan Muse. The shared role is NHL head coach. Recognizing the personal names resolves the mixture of a city-like phrase and words that also have everyday meanings.
How each word fits
- MAURICE
-
MAURICE identifies Paul Maurice, head coach of the Florida Panthers. The surname supplies the hockey connection.
- ST. LOUIS
-
ST. LOUIS identifies Martin St. Louis, the Montreal Canadiens' head coach. The tile names a person here, not a host city.
- BRUNETTE
-
BRUNETTE identifies Andrew Brunette, head coach of the Nashville Predators. His surname resolves the misleading hair-color reading.
- MUSE
-
MUSE identifies Dan Muse, head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is a surname here, rather than an artistic inspiration.
Connections Sports Edition FAQ
Which Sports Edition do these hints cover?
These hints cover Connections: Sports Edition #773 for November 5, 2026. The four category titles and all 16 answer tiles match the official dated puzzle data.
Does the Olympic group include both summer and winter hosts?
Yes. Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 are Summer Games hosts, while the French Alps 2030 and Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 are Winter Games hosts. All four editions are still upcoming at this puzzle's November 5, 2026 date.
What are the full names of the four Triple-A clubs?
They are the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Norfolk Tides, Toledo Mud Hens and El Paso Chihuahuas. The puzzle supplies their nicknames without the home locations.
Why does NUGGETS belong with SERBIA, JOKER and MVP?
All four connect to Nikola Jokić. NUGGETS supplies his NBA team, SERBIA his national team, JOKER his nickname and MVP an individual honor he has won.
Why is ST. LOUIS outside the group of host locations?
Here ST. LOUIS is the surname of Martin St. Louis. Paired with MAURICE, BRUNETTE and MUSE, it identifies another NHL head coach instead of another place.
Are BRUNETTE and MUSE part of a wordplay transformation?
No letters need changing. Read them directly as the surnames of Andrew Brunette and Dan Muse, alongside Paul Maurice and Martin St. Louis.
Sources and Verification
Official puzzle data and references for this edition.
View the sources used for this edition
The official dated puzzle data verifies November 5, #773, its four category titles and all 16 tiles. The IOC verifies the four host locations and their Games years. Official MiLB and MLB team pages verify the Triple-A identities; NBA and FIBA sources support the basketball connections and award seasons. NHL and team sources verify the four coaching names. This is source and editorial verification, with no claim of completing the official game.
- The Athletic — official Connections: Sports Edition puzzle
- IOC — where the next Olympic Games will be held
- MiLB — initial 2026 Sugar Land Space Cowboys roster and affiliation
- MiLB — Norfolk Tides team information
- MiLB — Toledo Mud Hens tickets and affiliation
- MLB — El Paso Chihuahuas ballpark guide
- NBA — Nikola Jokić player biography
- FIBA — Jokić, Serbia and the Joker nickname
- NBA — regular-season MVP award winners
- NHL — league head-coach list
- Florida Panthers — Paul Maurice biography
- Montreal Canadiens — Martin St-Louis profile
- Nashville Predators — Andrew Brunette named head coach
- Pittsburgh Penguins — Dan Muse named head coach
Connections Solved is an independent guide and is not affiliated with The Athletic or The New York Times.