Ranking 24 California pro sports teams from worst to first

Hopefully this list will be read in full before the arguments ensue. But we do expect vigorous debate.

There are 24 professional teams in California representing six different leagues – the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL MSL and NWSL. We’ve ranked them in order, from worst to first.

This was less science than art. To determine the rankings, we weighed each team’s recent results, team history and cool factors.

Cool: The cow bells at Sacramento Kings games

Very cool: Steph Curry

Super cool: Shohei Ohtani

Is it hard to compare football teams to basketball teams to hockey teams to soccer teams? You bet.

But we did it anyway.

24. Sacramento Kings

Cowtown, as Phil Jackson branded it, has produced more boos than moos in the past two decades. Unfortunately, their team finished 22-60 last season and failed to make the playoffs for the 19^th time in 20 years.

23. Los Angeles Angels

Went on their way to an 11^th losing season, quite a feat considering they had Shohei Ohtani for six of those seasons.

22. Los Angeles Sparks

The three WNBA titles feel like distant history as the Sparks try to avoid their sixth straight losing season.

21. San Jose Earthquakes

Have suffered through 10 straight non-winning seasons, but at least they can reminisce about winning the MLS Cup 2001 and 2003.

20. Bay FC

In danger of posting their third straight losing season after making their NWSL debut in 2024.

19. Athletics

Spending time atop the AL West this season, but it’s still early to celebrate for a lame-duck team with four straight losing seasons and 112 losses in 2023.

18. Angel City FC

Finished with a record of 7-13-6 in each of the last two seasons and have missed the playoffs in three of four seasons since their NWSL debut in 2022.

17. San Francisco Giants

The Giants are foundering and on their way to missing the playoffs for the 11^th time in the last 12. Thank heavens for the kayaks and McCovey Cove.

16. San Jose Sharks

Snapped its string of six straight losing seasons with a 39-35 finish in 2005-26. But have not qualified for the NHL playoffs since 2019.

15. Golden State Valkyries

Without Splash Sisters, the Valkyries finished 23-21 in 2025 during their inaugural season in the WNBA.

14. San Diego FC

Went 19-9-6 in 2025, the team’s inaugural season in the MLS, and reached the Western Conference final before losing to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

13. San Diego Wave FC

Off to a strong start in 2026 after reaching the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, they made their NWSL debut in 2022.

12. Anaheim Ducks

Finished with a 43-33 record this past season for their first winning record in eight years, and won the first-round playoff series vs. the Edmonton Oilers

11. Los Angeles Kings

The Kings have made the playoffs in five straight seasons. Now it’s time to win a playoff series, which hasn’t happened in 12 seasons.

10. Los Angeles Clippers

The first NBA title in franchise history remains elusive, but the Clippers have had 15 straight winning seasons and reached the playoffs in 12 of the past 14 seasons.

9. Los Angeles FC

Since LAFC’s inaugural season in the MLS, the team has reached the playoffs seven times in eight seasons and won the MLS Cup in 2022.

8. Los Angeles Chargers

Posted records of 11-6 in each of Jim Harbaugh’s first two seasons as the Chargers’ head coach. Still looking for their first playoff victory since 2019.

7. LA Galaxy

Missed playoffs four of last six seasons but won MLS Cup in 2024 – their sixth in franchise history and most in MLS history.

6. San Diego Padres

Once again, they’re battling the Dodgers in the NL West, and the team is supremely talented. But those National League pennants from 1984 and 1998 are getting dusty.

5. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors failed to reach the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, but they still deserve to be this high on the list thanks to NBA titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 and Steph Curry’s 3-point exploits.

4. Los Angeles Lakers

Nobody will mistake this team for the Showtime Lakers or the version that featured Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. But they’ve reached the playoffs six times in seven seasons and won the NBA championship in 2020.

 3. San Francisco 49ers

Made playoffs five of last seven years, during which the 49ers reached the NFL Championship game twice and lost the 2020 Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.

2. Los Angeles Rams

This past season reached the NFC Championship game for the second time in five seasons. Won the Super Bowl in 2022 and are a co-favorite to win another in 2027.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

A lock to make the playoffs for the 14th straight season, which will equal a record held by the Atlanta Braves, and seeking a third consecutive World Series title.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California pro sports teams ranked from worst to first