Across
- 3. – Miami (Florida); referencing the area’s climate
- 6. – Oklahoma City (Oklahoma); Refers to the area's location in "Tornado Alley" and the local 45th Infantry Division's "Thunderbirds" nickname.
- 7. – Atlanta (Georgia); deriving from the Tri-Cities Blackhawks after moving to Milwaukee
- 9. -- San Antonio (Texas); The name is a nod to the culture of Texas, referencing cowboy spurs.
- 10. – Los Angeles (California); derived from the state nickname for Minnesota, "Land of 10,000 Lakes," where the team was originally located (Minneapolis).
- 15. – Minneapolis (Minnesota); Selected in a name-the-team contest, referencing the high population of the animal in the state.
- 16. – Indianapolis (Indiana); referencing the “pace car” used in the Indianapolis 500
- 18. -- Washington (D.C.); Formerly the Washington Bullets, the name was changed to distance the team from gun violence. The current name was chosen in a contest.
- 21. Blazers – Portland (Oregon); The name refers to the end of the Oregon Trail and those who "blazed a trail" to the west.
- 22. – Phoenix (Arizona); Selected in a name-the-team contest to reflect the hot climate of the American Southwest.
- 24. -- Salt Lake City (Utah); Originally from New Orleans, the name was kept despite having no local connection to the music genre after the team moved to Salt Lake City.
- 25. – Houston (Texas); originally from San Diego, it is referencing that city's "city in motion" theme and local rocket manufacturing. The name coincidentally fit perfectly when the team moved to Houston, home of NASA.
- 26. -- Sacramento (California); The team was originally the Rochester Royals; the name was changed after the move to Sacramento to better suit the area.
- 27. – Inglewood (California); the name originated in San Diego, referencing the great sailing ships in the city's harbor.
- 28. – Chicago (Illinois); from this city’s history as the meatpacking capital of the world
Down
- 1. – Brooklyn (New York); a reference to the basketball hoop
- 2. – Philadelphia (Pennsylvania); referencing the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed.
- 4. – Milwaukee (Wisconsin); a common animal in this area
- 5. – San Francisco (California); originally from Philadelphia, the name was generic; it became "Golden State" to represent all of California when the team moved to San Francisco.
- 8. – Orlando (Florida); referencing this city’s connection to Walt Disney World
- 11. -- Toronto (Ontario); The name was heavily influenced by the immense popularity of the movie Jurassic Park when the team was founded in the 1990s.
- 12. – Dallas (Texas); Chosen through a fan contest, it references the long-running TV show [Individualist] and one of the owners was actor James Garner.
- 13. – New York City (New York); short for a style of trousers worn by original Dutch settlers here
- 14. – Boston (Mass); reflecting Boston’s Irish heritage
- 16. – Detroit (Michigan); from an owner who had a factory that manufactured parts for car engines
- 17. – Cleveland (Ohio); defined as “daring fearless men whose life’s pact was to never surrender”
- 19. – Charlotte (North Carolina); from the Revolutionary War era when this city was referred to as a “[wasp’s] nest” of rebellion
- 20. – Memphis (Tennessee); The name relates to the large bear population in British Columbia, the team's original home (Vancouver).
- 23. – Denver (Colorado); referencing the area's mining history and the Colorado Gold Rush of the mid-1800s.