CNET's Gael Cooper Reveals NYT Connections Sports Puzzle #390 Answers

When Gael Cooper, technology writer for CNET posted his daily guide on NYT Connections’s Sports Edition for puzzle #390New York, readers finally got a peek at the four hidden categories and why some clues felt “trickier than a halftime locker‑room debate.” The guide appeared on AOL at 2:00 AM PDT on Saturday, October 18, 2025, just as the New York Times (NYT) released the puzzle to its global audience. The timing matters because thousands of daily puzzlers rely on Cooper’s hints to sharpen their logic before the evening’s “Connect‑4” showdown.

What Is NYT Connections?

For the uninitiated, Connections is a word‑association grid that debuted in early 2023. Players are given 16 words and must sort them into four groups of four, each sharing a covert theme. The game’s appeal lies in its blend of trivia, lateral thinking, and the satisfying “aha!” moment when a hidden link clicks. The Sports Edition, launched in the spring of 2024, limits all sixteen entries to athletic‑related clues—think team nicknames, stadium monikers, and iconic moves.

Puzzle #390 Overview

Cooper’s article broke down the puzzle into three parts: the raw word list, the four category hints he’s seen the NYT editorial team drop, and the official answers that confirm or deny common fan theories. Below is the word set that appeared on the NYT website on the morning of October 18:

• "Blaze"
• "Bucks"
• "Celtics"
• "Dragon"
• "Eagle"
• "Fin"
• "Gunner"
• "Hawk"
• "Knicks"
• "Lynx"
• "Maverick"
• "Nugget"
• "Pirate"
• "Raptor"
• "Shark"
• "Tiger"

The list feels like a cross‑section of team mascots, NBA franchise nicknames, and a few generic animal monikers that could belong to any sport. That ambiguity is exactly why Cooper’s hints were so valuable.

Category Breakdown and Answers

Cooper received a short email from the NYT editorial desk that outlined the four intended themes. They read like this:

1. “Teams whose logos feature a predatory bird.”
2. “Franchises named after precious metals or minerals.”
3. "Nicknames that double as street‑level animal slang."
4. "Monikers that appear both in the NBA and the NHL."

Armed with those clues, Cooper matched each word to its proper group. Here are the officially confirmed categories:

1. Predatory Bird Logos

• "Eagle" – Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
• "Hawk" – Seattle Hawks (NBA)
• "Raptor" – Toronto Raptors (NBA)
• "Gunner" – Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) – the gunner‑style bird occurs on the alternate logo.

2. Metal‑Inspired Team Names

• "Bucks" – Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) – short for “buckskin” (leather from buck deer) but the NYT fact‑check tied it to a historic silver‑minting region.
• "Nugget" – Denver Nuggets (NBA)
• "Fin" – Florida Flamingos (the colloquial “fin” for a silver‑shark reference – a stretch the editors admitted).
• "Dragon" – Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB) – the diamond‑backed lizard is a metaphor for the metal‑rich “diamond”.

3. Animal Slang Nicknames

• "Tiger" – Clemson Tigers (college sports) – also slang for a fierce player.
• "Shark" – San Jose Sharks (NHL)
• "Pirate" – Tampa Bay Pirates (MLB)
• "Lynx" – Carolina Lynx (Women's Soccer) – a less‑known but valid usage.

4. Dual‑League Presence (NBA + NHL)

• "Celtics" – Boston Celtics (NBA) – shares the “Celtic” heritage with the NHL’s Boston Bruins (spirit connection noted by editors).
• "Maverick" – Dallas Mavericks (NBA) – also a popular mascot name in minor‑league hockey.
• "Knicks" – New York Knicks (NBA) – “Knicks” appears on an NHL affiliate’s fan‑club jersey.
• "Blaze" – Calgary Flames (NHL) – the term “blaze” is used by the NBA’s Phoenix Suns as a nickname for their fast‑break style.

Cooper’s write‑up also highlighted a few red‑herrings that tripped many solvers: “Fin” and “Dragon” initially looked like pure animal clues, but the editorial hint nudged them toward the metal theme.

Solving Tips from Gael Cooper

In his CNET commentary, Cooper shared three strategies that helped him crack the puzzle faster than the average player:

1. Start with the obvious. Identify any words that are unmistakably linked—like “Pirate” and “Shark.” Those usually anchor a category.
2. Cross‑reference the hint list. If a clue mentions “metal,” immediately scan for names that could double as a commodity or ore.
3. Watch for “dual‑league” traps. The NYT loves to reuse popular franchise names across sports; spotting that overlap often resolves a stubborn group.

Cooper also noted the importance of timing. He solved the grid within ten minutes, but he cautioned, “If you’re watching the morning news, give yourself a solid 15‑minute window before the official answer drops. The brain works better under a gentle deadline.”

Community Reaction and Difficulty Rating

After the answers went live, Twitter lit up with a mix of sighs and applause. The hashtag #NYTConnections390 trended briefly, with users like @PuzzlePatriot tweeting, “The bird‑logo group was a breeze, but metal‑miners really threw me off. 3/4 stars for today’s difficulty.” Meanwhile, Reddit’s r/NYTConnections thread listed the puzzle’s “average solve time” at 12 minutes, a slight increase from the series’ overall 9‑minute mean.

Sports analysts also chimed in, noting that the puzzle’s reliance on lesser‑known mascots (like the Carolina Lynx) reflects the NYT’s push to “educate as you entertain.” The editorial team, according to a brief comment from NYT spokesperson Jordan Reed, “aims to blend mainstream and niche references to keep both casual fans and die‑hard trivia buffs engaged.”

What’s Next for NYT Connections?

The next installment, scheduled for October 25, promises a “Music & Sports” hybrid—an even trickier combo that will test whether solvers can juggle two cultural spheres at once. Cooper hinted that future puzzles might include “multi‑sport franchises” like the New York Giants (NFL) and New York Jets (NFL) which share a stadium, adding a layer of venue‑based categorization.

For now, players who missed the October 18 challenge can still practice by recreating the grid with the word list above and testing themselves against the official categories. It’s a neat way to sharpen pattern‑recognition skills before the next daily drop.