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Defector

Maitreyi Anantharaman

New York Liberty Forward Breanna Stewart celebrates the team winning the WNBA championship during their parade on October 24, 2024 in New York City. Fans lined the streets north along Broadway to City Hall through what's known as the "Canyon of Heroes" to celebrate the Liberty's first WNBA championship after a 67-62 overtime victory on Sunday over the Minnesota Lynx. The Liberty were the top seed with a league-best 32-8 record.

Crosswords

The Crossword, Feb. 3: Space Jam

Michael Taaffe #16 of the Texas Longhorns looks at the Peach Bowl trophy at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Crossword, Jan. 27: Bursting With Pride (Themeless)

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to throw under pressure from defensive end Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Chiefs defeated the 49ers 25-22 in overtime.

The Crossword, Jan. 20: Passing Through

Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers looks on against the Minnesota Wild in the third period at Xcel Energy Center on December 12, 2024 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Oilers defeated the Wild 7-1.

The Crossword, Jan. 13: You Don’t Mean That

Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Tigers reacts in a game against the UCLA Bruins during the first half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 30, 2024 in Albany, New York.

The Crossword, Jan. 6: Miss Me

Puka Nacua #17 of the Los Angeles Rams carries the ball against Chuck Clark #36 of the New York Jets during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Crossword, Dec. 30: Out Of Office (Themeless)

Ruediger Grube, CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG and DB Mobility Logistics AG, travels by a Deutsche Bahn regional express train from Berlin to Potsdam

The Crossword, Dec. 23: Parting Ways

On the Cime de la Bonette climb during stage 19 of the 2024 Tour de France cycling race, from Embrun to Isola 2000 (144,6 km), in France, on Friday 19 July 2024.

The Crossword, Dec. 16: Lost At Sea

Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs plays left field in a game against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field on May 6, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.

The Crossword, Dec. 9: Added Dimension

Lin Manuel Miranda debuts the 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' song 'Jabba Flow' at 'Hamilton' on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on May 4, 2016 in New York City

The Crossword, Dec. 2: Hot Ones

Las Vegas center A'ja Wilson (22) shoots a three-pointer during the WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the Atlanta Dream on July 12th, 2024 at the Gateway Arena in College Park, GA.

The Crossword, Nov. 25: Party Hat (Themeless)

Tracy Chapman performs onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

The Crossword, Nov. 18: Turnaround Jumpers

The Crossword, Nov. 11: Paintball

Chappell Roan performs during 2024 Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park on October 06, 2024 in Austin, Texas.

The Crossword, Nov. 4: Rock Group

Hoang&#8211;Kim Vu is the co-editor of the Defector Crossword. His puzzles have appeared in multiple venues, including the New York Times, L.A. Times, and USA Today.

Hoang-Kim Vu

Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees reacts after Enrique Hernandez #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit a triple in the fifth inning during Game One of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

The Crossword, Oct. 28: A Cryptic!

Phoebe Bridgers, winner of the Best Alternative Music Album award for "The Record"- Boygenius, Best Rock Song award for "Not Strong Enough", Best Rock Performance award for "Not Strong Enough" and Best Pop/Duo Group Performance award for "Ghost In The Machine", poses in the press room at the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

The Crossword, Oct. 21: Sub-liminal Messages

Trinity Rodman #2 of Washington Spirit in action against the OL Reign during the second half of the NWSL game at Audi Field on May 1, 2022 in Washington, DC.

The Crossword, Oct. 14: Flower Arrangement

Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos on November 17, 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro.

The Crossword, Oct. 7: Pile Your Plate High

Chris Paul #3 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to referee Scott Foster #48 during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on November 22, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Crossword, Sept. 30: Who Do You Think You Are? We Am (Themeless)

Nathan Chen of Team United States reacts during the Men Single Skating Free Skating on day six of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 10, 2022 in Beijing, China.

The Crossword, Sept. 23: Peach Turnover

Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after being ejected for a flagrant foul during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on December 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 119-116.

The Crossword, Sept. 16: I’ve Got Your Number

Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF controls the ball against Jakob Glesnes during the Leagues Cup 2023 semifinals match at Subaru Park on August 15, 2023 in Chester, Pennsylvania.

The Crossword, Sept. 9: Ope

Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Crossword, Sept. 2: Them’s Fighting Words

Corey Seager tags out Jose Ramirez as he attempts to steal second base

The Crossword, Aug. 26: Cut To The Chase (Themeless)

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs catches a pass against the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.