When Washington comes to mind, you might think of rain, wilderness, and the Starbucks brand. While these are all correct answers, the rowdy sports fans who live and die by the success of their teams are also part of this conversation. Once upon a time, there was a basketball team in Seattle, too. The Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City in the mid-2000s, creating a hole in the city.
The NBA didn’t realize how beloved the Supersonics were until it was too late. Even though there have been talks of expanding to both Seattle and Las Vegas, there aren’t any NBA teams in Washington as of now. Because Washington is located so far up in the northwest, their teams are followed by people who live in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, northern Nevada, and even parts of Canada. The more fans you have behind you, the better your team performs. Click here to find out more about 21 of the greatest sports teams who disappeared.
These Washington teams take center stage whenever they play a game. To compile a list of most popular teams in the state, 24/7 Tempo consulted different sports-centered sites for insight and stats. These include MLB.com, NFL.com, and NHL.com.
Seattle Seahawks
Source: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Source: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Have you ever gotten so excited over a play you felt like your excitement could cause an earthquake? Well, when Marshawn Lynch had his infamous “Beast Quake” run against the New Orleans Saints in the 2010 playoffs, Seattle Seahawks fans started an actual earthquake because of their excitement.
This type of noise isn’t uncommon at games in Seattle, either. Whenever visiting teams have the ball, the fans create noise that’s comparable to a 747 plane taking off. This makes it incredibly hard to communicate, thus resulting in bad fortune for other teams.
Today, the Seahawks play their home games at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Seahawks have been to three Super Bowls in their history, winning only one of them. They could have won back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013 and 2014 if it weren’t for a goal-line interception in the final moments.
Seattle Mariners
Source: Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images
Source: Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images
There’s something about an underdog story that captures the heart of the United States. Up until the 2022 season, the Seattle Mariners had the longest postseason drought of any of the four major sports league teams in the United States. The team went from 2001 until 2022 without making the playoffs.
However, for the bulk of those years, baseball only allowed four teams from each league to make them, so it was a lot harder than other sports. However, they finally did it and look to be trending towards being a power in the MLB.
The Mariners play their home games at T-Mobile Park, one of the most beautiful stadiums in baseball. This stadium was the host of the 2023 MLB All-Star weekend. Even though the fans don’t get as loud as they frequently do at Seahawks games, Mariners fans know how to celebrate and cheer their team on.
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storms is an impressive team.
The Seattle Storms is an impressive team.
No matter what, Seattle will always be a basketball town. The Seattle Pro-Am every summer features some of the best NBA players. Michael Porter Jr. and Zach Lavine are just two of the current stars to hail from Seattle. As of now, the only professional basketball in Washington is the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.
Storm fans love basketball – and it shows in their attendance numbers. It also helps that the Storm is one of the most successful WNBA franchises in the league, having won four championships, with the most recent being in 2020.
The Storm play at Climate Pledge Arena in downtown Seattle. The torch has been officially passed from Sue Bird, one of the legends of the WNBA. With stars like Jewell Loyd and Mercedes Russell leading the team, the Storm will be a constant threat to win the championship for years to come.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken have a stunning arena.
The Seattle Kraken have a stunning arena.
The newest team in the NHL had big shoes to fill after the success of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Knights had a miraculous run to the Stanley Cup final in their first season. The Kraken had a forgettable first season, but their second season was one for the books. They had a 40-point increase from the year before, one of the biggest in league history.
They made it to the second round of the playoffs and took the Dallas Stars to seven games, proving the regular season wasn’t a fluke at all. Now, the Kraken are going to host the Knights in the 2024 Winter Classic. This is a yearly NHL game that takes place on New Year’s Day in an outdoor venue.
These games are some of the best during the season because of the hype surrounding them. It’s considered an honor to play in this game, showing the Kraken have truly arrived in the eyes of the NHL.
Seattle Sounders FC
The Seattle sounders dominate on the soccer field.
The Seattle sounders dominate on the soccer field.The Seattle sounders dominate on the soccer field.
Soccer has quickly become one of the most popular sports in the United States. It’s thanks to teams like the Seattle Sounders. The MLS expanded to Seattle in 2007 with their first professional season taking place in 2009. The name comes from the old team that competed in the North American Soccer League.
The Sounders burst onto the scene and have already won two MLS Cups in their 14 years of play. Something the MLS got right was giving these expansion franchises the best possible chance to win, which the Sounders took full advantage of. This has helped the new markets generate excitement for their new team and be proud of them every time they take the pitch.
Today, the Sounders are known for having players like Jordan Morris and Stefan Frei leading the way. Seattle is a city that deserves to have good teams because of how passionate the fans are. Whenever the Sounders are playing, you can be sure the whole state is watching.
OL Reign
Lumen Field is where the OL Reign play their home games.
Lumen Field is where the OL Reign play their home games.Lumen Field is where the OL Reign play their home games.
The Seattle Sounders aren’t the only professional soccer team in Washington. The OL Reign is a professional women’s team that competes in the NWSL, the highest level of women’s soccer in the United States. Even though they haven’t won an NWSL Challenge Cup yet, they’ve been to three finals.
Going to three finals shows you’re consistently one of the best teams in the entire league. Women’s soccer has exploded in the United States, with much of the credit being given to how successful the U.S. Women’s National Team has been.
The OL Reign have taken the momentum provided by the National Team and ran with it. Women’s soccer is becoming more and more popular, thanks to little girls having tons of new idols to look up to. The OL Reign do an amazing job of continuing this legacy and should constantly be in the mix for winning the Cup every year.
Seattle Sea Dragons
Seattle Sea Dragons are a talented football team.
Seattle Sea Dragons are a talented football team.
There was once a time when people thought the XFL might take out the NFL in the 1980s. This didn’t happen; however, the XFL came back to life in 2018. The Seattle Sea Dragons were one of the inaugural teams announced when the league was formed. This is thanks to how passionate the fans are about the Seahawks.
The Sea Dragons have proven to be one of the most successful teams in the XFL ever since the rebirth of the league. Even though the league has had some financial issues and was sold to Dwayne Johnson, there’s still hope this league can be thought of as a minor league for the NFL.
There have been plenty of players who were given a second chance at football and took it. The Sea Dragons have former NFL players like Josh Gordon and Antoine Brooks, hoping for another shot in the league. Click here for more information about the rowdiest teams in the NFL.