| 100% | LEBRON | 6 | First name of a basketball player who recently signed with a new team |
| 46% | MAGICJOHNSON | 12 | A former Basketball player who was part of "The Dream Team," who spent his entire career with the L.A Lakers: 2 wds. |
| 45% | SHERYLSWOOPES | 13 | Basketball Hall of Fame inductee who was the first player to sign with the WNBA: 2 wds. |
| 40% | SUEBIRD | 7 | Basketball star who forms half of a sports power couple with soccer player Megan Rapinoe: 2 wds. |
| 40% | YAO | 3 | With 35a, name of the Chinese basketball player who played for the Houston Rockets |
| 39% | BILBO | 5 | First name of a fantasy character who lives in Bag End |
| 39% | ELLA | 4 | First name of a singer with 13 Grammys |
| 38% | ELON | 4 | First name of a man associated with Tesla, SpaceX |
| 38% | PELE | 4 | Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, who shares her name with a famed Brazilian soccer player |
| 37% | CLIVE | 5 | First name of a music mogul that rhymes with a number |
| 37% | CLINT | 5 | First name of the man who played the Man with No Name |
| 36% | ANNMEYERS | 9 | First female to sign with a 103-Down team |
| 36% | LISALESLIE | 10 | Basketball Hall of Fame inductee who was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game: 2 wds. |
| 36% | LAILA | 5 | First name of Muhammad Ali's daughter, who was also a boxer |
| 36% | ANNADELVEY | 10 | Assumed name of a con artist who infiltrated wealthy New York society |
| 36% | LAILA | 5 | First name of a world champion boxer who was daughter to a world champion boxer |
| 36% | KAZMATSUI | 9 | First Japanese infielder to sign with a major-league team, familiarly |
| 35% | AXL | 3 | Better known first name of William Bruce Bailey who made it big with GNR |
| 35% | EZRACORNELL | 11 | Man for whom a New York Ivy League school is named, who shares his first name with "The Flash" actor Miller: 2 wds. |
| 35% | LAMAR | 5 | First name of basketball player Odom or last name of rapper Kendrick |
| 35% | ERNIE | 5 | Golfer Els who shares his first name with a Muppet |
| 35% | PIUSI | 5 | First of 12 popes with a religious-sounding name |
| 35% | FIVE | 4 | Number of players on a basketball team |
| 35% | SYCAMORE | 8 | With 15-Across, name of a recently felled historic tree near Hadrian's Wall |
| 35% | SHERYLSWOOPES | 13 | She was the first player signed by a WNBA team: 2 wds. |
| 34% | ELLE | 4 | Fashion model Macpherson who shares her first name with a fashion magazine |
| 34% | CHADOCHOCINCO | 13 | Former name of an NFL player who appeared on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2010: 2 wds. |
| 34% | AROD | 4 | Nickname of the only player named MLB MVP for two different fielding positions with two different teams (Texas Rangers/shortstop, New York Yankees/third base) (Hyph.) |
| 34% | MASSENBURG | 10 | Former basketball player Tony ___ who played with twelve different teams between 1990 - 2005 |
| 34% | SALESREPS | 9 | Members of a business team who seek new customers, for short: 2 wds. |