Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for Aug. 14, 2026, puzzle No. 690

August 14, 2026 - 08:24

The puzzle today had a nice mix of team nicknames, player awards, and a couple of tricky homophones. The categories ranged from fairly obvious to sneaky. One group was all about things you might see in a hockey rink, but not the equipment you think. Another group tied together famous mascots from college teams. The purple category, as always, was the toughest, and it involved a word that can be both a verb and a piece of sports gear.

If you are stuck, here is a gentle nudge: think about the word "puck" and what it sounds like when you say it fast. Also, one category is all about former MVP winners who later became coaches. That one took me a minute.

For those ready for the answers, here they are. The yellow group was "Baseball stats" and included RBI, ERA, OPS, and WAR. The green group was "Olympic sports" and had curling, fencing, judo, and skeet. The blue group was "NBA teams in alphabetical order by city" and featured the Celtics, Knicks, Nets, and Spurs. The purple group was "Words that become another word when you add a letter to the front" and included lace, pace, race, and face.

That wraps up puzzle 690. Good luck with tomorrow's game, and feel free to share your own solving path in the comments. Did you get the purple group without a hint, or did it trip you up like it did for me?