The June 2, 2026, Connections: Sports Edition puzzle No. 617 invites players to solve a word association challenge by grouping 16 words into four categories. The puzzle's difficulty is rated at 2 out of 5, making it accessible for a wide range of players. Hints for the categories include 'ATHLETICS', 'PARIS', 'CARDINALS', and 'TERRITORIAL'. The full answers reveal connections such as AL West baseball teams (including the ASTROS and RANGERS), locations of Grand Slam tennis tournaments (like LONDON and MELBOURNE), teams associated with NFL player Kyler Murray (notably the CARDINALS), and various types of cups (including FA and GREY). Mark Cooper, the puzzle's creator and a managing editor at The Athletic, encourages players to engage with the game and share their scores in the comments. The next puzzle will be available at midnight in each player's time zone.