There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! That’s How I Beat Shaq (Freestyle)

Constructor: Kelsey Dixon

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• LEE (13D: Keith ___ (TikTok food influencer)) Keith LEE began posting restaurant reviews on TikTok in 2021. His account now has over 16.8 million followers. Many of the restaurants Keith LEE has reviewed have experienced increased sales. Last year Forbes magazine included Keith LEE on their “30 Under 30” list.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• HAKA (14A: Ceremonial Maori dance) The Māori are indigenous people of New Zealand. The HAKA is a ceremonial dance that is usually performed in a group and involves chanting, stamping, hand movements, and facial gestures.
• INCA (15A: Machu Picchu resident) Machu Picchu is a 15th-century citadel located in the Andes mountains in southern Peru. It was most likely constructed as an estate of Pachacuti, a ruler of the INCA Empire. From the late 1400s to the early 1500s, the INCA Empire incorporated a large part of western South America, including portions of the modern-day countries of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia.
• SCALP (22A: Place to apply hair oil) and TUB (25A: Place to rub-a-dub-dub) and BED (27A: Place to catch some z’s) A fun trio of “Place to…” clues. I appreciated the parallel construction of these clues for three unrelated answers.
• RENEE (41A: “Tummy Hurts” singer Rapp) “Tummy Hurts” is a song from RENEÉ Rapp’s debut studio album, Snow Angel (2023). She also released a remix of “Tummy Hurts” that features Coco Jones.
• WAT (42A: Doro ___ (Ethiopian stew)) The Ethiopian dish, doro WAT, is a chicken curry stew. Sometimes it includes hard-boiled eggs as well.
• REESE (49A: WNBA star Angel ___) Angel REESE is a professional basketball player for WNBA’s Chicago Sky. She began her college career at the University of Maryland before transferring to Louisiana State University (LSU). She led LSU to a National Championship in 2023, and was named the Most Outstanding Player. Angel Reese is currently playing for Rose BC in Unrivaled, a new women’s 3×3 basketball league.
• TAMIL (4D: Language spoken in Sri Lanka) Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia located just off the southeast coast of the Indian Peninsula. Sri Lanka’s official languages are TAMIL and Sinhala; English is a recognized language.
• HAHN (30D: “Agatha All Along” star Kathryn) This is the fourth time I’ve written about the Disney+ TV series, Agatha All Along, since I first learned about it from the December 26, 2024 puzzle. Kathryn HAHN portrays the title character, Agatha Harkness, a character she first played in the Marvel miniseries WandaVision. Agatha is part of a coven of witches who are following the Witches’ Road. Last time I wrote about Agatha All Along, I suggested that perhaps the crossword is on a mission to teach me about this show!
• AS A TREAT (36D: “Cats can have little a salami ___” (pet snack meme)) The “Cats can have little a salami AS A TREAT” meme arose out of a 2017 blog post discussing whether cats can eat salami. And yes, the typo – “little a” instead of “a little” – was part of the original post (and perhaps a contributing factor in the phrase’s popularity). My cat, Willow, is poking her head up to inquire why she doesn’t get little a salami AS A TREAT.

• FTW (38D: Initialism that might be used after a victory on Board Game Arena) Board Game Arena is a platform for playing board games online. The initialism FTW means “for the win.”
• A few other clues and answers I especially enjoyed:
  • NOISE (31A: “Boink!” or “Bonk!”)
  • CATCH FEELINGS (35A: Develop a romantic attraction)
  • PLEASE BE PATIENT (53A: “Just gimme a minute, okay?!”)
  • KEYS (61A: Phone, wallet, ___)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

THAT’S HOW I BEAT SHAQ (Freestyle): There’s no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless puzzle. The title is a nod to ELIMINATION GAME (17A: Match that will knock the loser out of competition).

“That’s How I Beat Shaq” is a 2001 song by Aaron Carter. The song is a tale of a one-on-one basketball game with basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. Today “That’s How I Beat Shaq” is a fun title for this puzzle with ELIMINATION GAME as a grid-spanner. I really enjoyed all the creative clues and interesting fill in this one. Thank you, Kelsey, for this delightful puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers