The 25 best sports teams of 2022

The Bulldogs began 2022 by avenging their most recent loss -- 41-24 to Alabama in the 2021 SEC Championship Game -- by beating the Crimson Tide 33-18 in the national title contest on Jan. 10. Since losing to the Tide, Georgia is 15-0, the No. 1 ranked squad in the College Football Playoff and favorite to become the first repeat national champion since Alabama from the 2011-'12 seasons. In 14 2022 games, prior to the CFP semifinals, the Bulldogs have averaged 38.7 points, allowed 13.1 per contest, yielded more than 22 points just once, and won by fewer than 10 only one time.

The Rams went 0-3 in November 2021 and sat 7-4 in Week 12. However, they would lose only one more time the rest of the way -- 27-24 at home to San Francisco in the regular-season finale. When it came time for the postseason in the early weeks of 2022, Los Angeles turned it on, knocking off reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and Tom Brady on the road. Then, avenging that defeat to the 49ers with a 20-17 home victory in the NFC Championship Game. Despite trailing Cincinnati 20-13 late in the third quarter of Super Bowl LVI, the Rams rallied and went ahead for good when Matthew Stafford (283 passing yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions) threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp (eight receptions, 92 yards, two touchdowns) with 1:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. L.A. hung on to win 23-20 for the franchise's second such title and Stafford's first after toiling for 12 years in Detroit.

The Bengals might have fallen short of winning the franchise's first Super Bowl. However, budding stars in quarterback Joe Burrow (1,105 passing yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions, 68.3 completion percentage in four 2022 postseason games), receiver Ja'Marr Chase (25 receptions, 368 receiving yards in four 2022 postseason games), and kicker Evan McPherson (14-of-14 on field goals in four 2022 postseason games) won over plenty of fans with their performance in the early days of 2022. The upstart Bengals won their three playoff games by a combined 13 points. McPherson kicked the game-winning 52-yard field goal as time expired to win 19-16 at Tennessee in the AFC Divisional round. He then banged through a 31-yarder in overtime for that 27-24 victory at Kansas City in the conference title contest to erase a 21-3 first-half hole.

After settling for the silver medal at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, the Canadian women were determined to regain their spot at the top of the Olympic mountain. And, they didn't disappoint their faithful, claiming gold for the fifth time in the seven Games the sport has been held. Paced by Sarah Nurse (18 points) and veteran Marie-Philip Poulin (17 points), Team Canada outscored its opponents 57-10 while winning all seven games. After downing the rival United States 4-2 in group play, the Canadians avenged their 2018 gold-medal game defeat to the Americans with a 3-2 triumph in the Feb. 17 title contest.

When it came to unfinished business, the Gamecocks got the job done. The Gamecocks lost 66-65 to eventual national champion Stanford in a thrilling and emotional national semifinal contest in 2021. Then a year later, as the overall No. 1 seed, South Carolina essentially rolled through the 2022 NCAA Tournament field. Behind the play of star Aliyah Boston, South Carolina finished 35-2 and won the program's second national title after winning 64-49 over Connecticut on April 3. Of note, the Gamecocks' championship-game victory marked the first NCAA title-game loss for UConn coach Geno Auriemma. To no surprise, South Carolina opened the 2022-23 season atop The Associated Press poll and was undefeated through its first 11 games.

The men's NCAA Tournament is good for a few feel-good moments each season. While there are some worthy candidates, afterthought Saint Peter's was the undisputed Cinderella standout at the 2022 Big Dance. Entering the event at 19-11 after winning the MAAC tournament title, the Peacocks, from Jersey City, N.J., caught fire in beating No. 2 seed Kentucky, seventh-seeded Murray State, and No. 3 Purdue to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight. Sadly, that fabulous run ended with a 20-point loss to North Carolina in the regional finals. Yet, Saint Peter's, led by Daryl Banks (13.5 points per game in the 2022 NCAA Tournament), and its remarkable tournament accomplishment should not be forgotten.

There was plenty of parity heading into the 2022 NCAA Tournament, but Kansas was the only No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four. It wasn't entirely an easy run, but after routing Miami, Fla., in the Elite Eight and Villanova in the national semifinal, the Jayhawks, behind double-doubles from David McCormack and Christian Braun, overcame a 15-point halftime hole to outscore North Carolina 47-29 in the second half to win 72-69 in the national final on April 4. It was the fourth national title, and second under coach Bill Self, for Kansas (34-6). 

Meet the new boss. Which pretty much is the same as the old boss. Real Madrid extended its record Champions League title count to 14 with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the final on May 28 in Paris. Vinícius Júnior scored the lone goal just prior to the hour mark for Real Madrid, which has won its last five Champions League titles over a nine-year stretch. Joining Vinicius on the tournament's "Team of the Season" were Real teammates Thibaut Courtois, Luka Modrić, and Karim Benzema, who led the event with 15 goals.

Winning national championships is nothing new for the Sooners' softball program. Oklahoma won its sixth title this season, and for the second time in seven years, it repeated as national champion. Behind two-time national player of the year Jocelyn Alo (all-time NCAA home run leader with 132) and Big 12 Freshman and Pitcher of the Year Jordy Bahl, the Sooners went 59-3. Including 5-1 at the Women's College World Series, where they outscored rival Texas 26-6 to sweep the two-game final series in early June.

After missing the playoffs the previous two seasons, and with superstar Stephen Curry healthy and back to form, the Warriors proved they could return to the top of the NBA hill. Golden State didn't win the Pacific Division and had the third-best record (53-29) in the Western Conference during the 2021-22 regular season. But, paced by Curry (27.4 ppg in the 2022 playoffs) and the triumphant return of Klay Thompson (19.0 ppg in 2022 playoffs), it went 16-6 in the postseason. After going down 2-1 in the NBA Finals to Boston, the Warriors won three straight by a combined 33 points to claim their fourth title in eight seasons. Curry averaged 31.2 points and shot 43.7% from 3-point range to win Finals MVP.

Sure, the Celtics could not seal the deal and win their first NBA title since 2008, but last season was also a sign that the franchise might be back. Led by modern-day stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, the Celtics won their first division title since 2016-17 and were back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. It also might end up being a springboard to even greater heights in 2022-23. Through its first 31 games of the 2022-23 campaign, Boston was 22-9 with the look of a team ready to take care of some unfinished business.

OK, the Lightning came up short in their quest to become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders from 1980-'83. But Tampa Bay did reach the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight campaign in '22. And it wasn't easy, considering the strength of the Eastern Conference, which featured eight teams to post at least 100 points, including three with more than Tampa's 110. The Lightning needed seven games to beat Toronto, then swept Florida and took down the upstart New York Rangers in six to win the conference. However, even with stellar postseason play from Nikita Kucherov (27 playoff points in 2022), Ondrej Palat (21 points), and Steven Stamkos (11 playoff goals), the Lightning lost to Colorado in six games of the Final. Still, in a sport that's often considered the hardest to repeat as champion, Tampa Bay continues to display an amazing level of consistency.

Speaking of Colorado. If the Avalanche did not win the Stanley Cup, it might have been a case of serious underachievement. Led by stars Nathan MacKinnon, Conn Smythe Trophy winner Cale Makar (29 playoff points in 2022), and Mikko Rantanen, the Avs posted a Western Conference-best 119 points -- second-most in the NHL. In the playoffs, Colorado opened with a sweep of Nashville and did the same to Edmonton in the Western Conference final series. The Avs won the first two against Tampa Bay and eventually the franchise's third Stanley Cup with a 2-1 victory in Game 6 on June 26.

While the English men fell short in their quest to win the most recent Euros, the Lionesses ensured that "football is coming home." In storybook fashion, amid its own backyard at Wembley Stadium, on the last day of July, England's women's national team needed an extra-time winner from Chloe Kelly, who followed with her own Brandi Chastain moment, to beat eight-time winner Germany, 2-1 for its first Euro title. While the result meant pure jubilation for the English women, and the country itself, the defeat marked the first time the Germans lost a European Championship final.

For the fourth time since 2005, Hawaii has produced a Little League World Series champion. The boys from Honolulu didn't just win this year's tournament; they downright dominated. The Hawaiians, guided by veteran little league manager Gerald Oda, went 5-0 during the United States bracket, then rolled to a 13-3 victory over Curaçao in the international championship contest on Aug. 28. For the tournament, Hawaii outscored its six opponents 60-5 and won four games by the so-called "mercy rule," which results in a shortened contest.

The Las Vegas Aces were the best team during the 2022 WNBA regular season, with a 26-10 mark, and the recipient of the Commissioner's Cup. Things stayed that way when the final horn sounded in Game 4 of the league finals on Sept. 18. The Aces beat Connecticut on the road that night to capture the franchise's first WNBA title. Paced by star and league MVP   A'ja Wilson, Finals MVP Chelsea Gray, and floor leader Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas helped league legend Becky Hammon become the first to win a title in her initial season as coach.

To Dodgers fans, the 2022 season was certainly bittersweet. For some, downright disappointing. Yes, Los Angeles not only failed to win the World Series but didn't even win a postseason series after losing in four games to San Diego in the divisional round. That said, the Dodgers' franchise-record 111-win regular season is worth celebrating when considering its place in baseball history. First, the Dodgers' win total was the most of any major-league team since Seattle's 116 from 2001 (the Mariners did not win it all that year, too). Second, the fact it's a record for a franchise that began in 1884 in Brooklyn is quite impressive. While Dodgers' fans were left frustrated, general appreciators of baseball can see why that regular-season performance is worth lauding.

Mired in a 10-year playoff drought, the Phillies sat 22-29 when they fired manager Joe Girardi on June 3. However, with bench coach Rob Thomson guiding the team, Philadelphia won its first eight games under the interim manager and went 65-46 the rest of the way. That resulted in an 87-75 mark, good enough to earn the NL's third and final wild-card spot. But the postseason was really where the fun began. The Phillies used a six-run ninth inning to erase a 2-0 hole at St. Louis in Game 1 of the wild-card round, scored 24 runs in a four-game divisional series win over Atlanta, and got that memorable two-run, go-ahead homer from Bryce Harper in the bottom of the eighth in their 4-3, NLCS-clinching victory over San Diego in Game 5. Sure, Philadelphia blew a 2-1 World Series lead to Houston, but the 2022 ride proved sincerely rewarding.

There are plenty of baseball fans who can't stomach the Houston Astros. However, they don't appear to be going away anytime soon. The 2022 campaign proved to be another dominant run for the Astros, who recorded an AL-best 106 wins and 807 runs and produced a 39-year-old Cy Young Award winner in Justin Verlander. Then swept Seattle and the New York Yankees in the AL postseason before going down 2-1 to Philadelphia in the World Series. Houston, though, allowed three runs in winning three straight games for the franchise's second title in six years. And, first World Series crown as a manager for beloved 73-year-old Dusty Baker.

With a 21-9-4 regular-season mark, LAFC captured its second Supporters' Shield. However, Los Angeles had to work to win the franchise's first MLS Cup. In one of the most entertaining and exciting finals, on Nov. 5, in league history, LAFC and the Philadelphia Union, which enjoyed a stellar 19-win regular-season campaign, played to a 3-3 tie after regulation and extra-time, which included Gareth Bale's equalizer in the 120th minute for LAFC -- four minutes after the Union went up 3-2. The match went to penalty kicks, where LAFC backup goalkeeper   John McCarthy shined, and the club prevailed 3-0.

The NCAA Division III University of Chicago men's soccer program was looking for something -- or perhaps someone -- to get it over the hump and finally win a national championship after three previous trips to the national semifinals. It looks like first-year coach Julianne Sitch was the answer. Under the guidance of Sitch, the Maroons went 21-0-1 this season and beat Williams College 2-0 on Dec. 3 to claim that elusive title. Thus, making the 39-year-old Sitch, who played at nearby DePaul and in the NWSL, the first woman coach of a men's soccer national champion.

The feel-good moment of the 2022 World Cup -- for sure. Making back-to-back World Cup appearances, the Moroccans made history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals of the event. It got there by upsetting Belgium and Canada and drawing Croatia, to surprisingly win Group F. The upsets continued by beating mighty Spain in the knockout round and winning 1-0 over Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the quarterfinals. While the fun ended with a 2-0 loss to France in the semis and followed with a 2-1 defeat versus Croatia in the rematch for third place, Morocco's fourth-place finish was truly something special.

In what is already being considered the greatest final in the history of the World Cup, Argentina outlasted reigning champion France, 4-2 on penalties after the perennial world soccer powers finished game action 3-3. It was Argentina's third World Cup triumph and its first since 1986. Most notably, it was the first World Cup title for superstar Lionel Messi (two goals), who was playing in a record 26th World Cup match, which proved to be a showcase between him and fellow international star Kylian Mbappe, who made it a 2-2 contest with goals minutes apart (80th and 81st) and equalized again with his 118th-minute penalty kick. Yet, it was the Argentinians left standing after showing tremendous perseverance from losing its opener against Saudi Arabia and topping the Netherlands on penalties in the quarterfinals.

Michigan enters its New Year's Eve College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against TCU with a 13-0 record during the 2022 calendar year. That run includes an impressive second straight win over Ohio State, 45-23 in Columbus, nonetheless. And a second consecutive Big Ten championship. While it remains to be seen if the Wolverines really do have the chops of a national champion, 2022 will be a special season in the annals of Michigan football.

We'll see how things play out in early 2023, but through 15 weeks of the NFL season, the Eagles are the NFL's best team. And, with just one loss, really, there's not much of an argument. Their only loss to date came against Washington on Nov. 14, and they have six wins by at least 12 points. Not to mention, versatile quarterback Jalen Hurts (3,472 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, five interceptions, 747 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns) is the frontrunner for NFL MVP. That said, Hurts is dealing with a shoulder issue, and since winning Super Bowl LII to conclude the 2017 season, Philadelphia has totaled 54 points while going 1-3 in the postseason.