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Connections: Sports Edition hints for July 22, 2025, puzzle No. 302

Connections: Sports Edition hints for July 22, 2025, puzzle No. 302

New York Times22-07-2025
Need help with today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle? You've come to the right place.
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
A quick public service announcement before we continue: The bottom of this article includes one answer in each of the four categories. So if you want to solve the board hint-free, we recommend you play before continuing.
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You can access Tuesday's game here.
Game No. 302's difficulty: 3.5 out of 5
Scroll below for one answer in each of the four categories.
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Yellow: RAZORBACK
Green: INTER
Blue: MAD DOG
Purple: BANANA BOAT
The next puzzle will be available at midnight in your time zone. Thanks for playing — and share your scores in the comments!
(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic)
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