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Women's Football in Los Angeles County

Woman tackle football players. Photo courtesy of John Torcasio via PublicDomainPictures.net.

CALI WAR

The Cali War's origin as a professional women's tackle football team is traced to the California Lynx, a team owned by Anthony Bartley, co-founder of the Women's Football Alliance league, under which the team played its only season for the league's inaugural 2009 season. A falling out between Bartley and the league's other owners after the 2009 season led to the California Lynx being withdrawn from the league and, in 2010, the Pacific Warriors were established in its place, retaining a number of California Lynx players. In 2017, the Pacific Warriors were renamed Los Angeles Warriors. For the 2019 season, the team was again renamed, this time to Cali War. The War continues to play under the Women's Football Alliance league within their American Conference - Pacific Region. The team's home is at Mira Costa High School Stadium in Manhattan Beach.

The War (then as the Warriors) played in the 2018 WFA Championship Game against the Boston Renegades. As had happened with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series that same year, the L.A. team lost the championship to Boston (score 42-18). At the end of the following season, the War again faced Boston in the 2019 WFA Championship Game, but again lost the championship to Boston, 52-24.

Regular Season Win-Loss-Tie Record by Season

  • 2019 (as Cali War) 7-0-0
  • 2018 (as Los Angeles Warriors) 8-0-0
  • 2017 (as Los Angeles Warriors) 5-4-0
  • 2016 (as Pacific Warriors) 5-2-0
  • 2015 (as Pacific Warriors) 5-2-0
  • 2014 (as Pacific Warriors) No play this season
  • 2013 (as Pacific Warriors) 4-5-0
  • 2012 (as Pacific Warriors) 3-1-0
  • 2011 (as Pacific Warriors) 4-4-0
  • 2010 (as Pacific Warriors) 7-1-0
  • 2009 (California Lynx) 5-3-0

LOS ANGELES BLACKSTORM

In December 2019, the Legends Football League, fielding the Los Angeles Temptation (see below), announced that, after playing 10 seasons, they would not return in 2020. Shortly thereafter, the new, rebranded Extreme Football League was announced. The new league would field, among eight teams across the nation, the Los Angeles Blackstorm. The new league intended to launch its first season in 2020. That plan was later cancelled, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league has since rescheduled its first season to 2021.

LOS ANGELES TEMPTATION

Actually, the Los Angeles Temptation plays in Ontario in San Bernardino County, just next door to Los Angeles County. Nevertheless, they label themselves with "Los Angeles" and they're not far from our county line, so we're including them here. The team originally launched as a 7-on-7 women's tackle football team in 2004, originally named Team Dream, to play at NFL halftimes under the Lingerie Football League (renamed Legends Football League in 2013). That year, the team won Lingerie Bowl I against Team Euphoria (New York), 6-0. The team, renamed Los Angeles Temptation in the following year, again defeated New York Euphoria in Lingerie Bowl II. Los Angeles yet again faced New York in Lingerie Bowl III in 2006, but was that time defeated, 13-12. Los Angeles, however, won three later Lingerie Bowls, defeating Chicago Bliss, 27-14, in Lingerie Bowl VII (2010), and Philadephlia Passion twice, scoring 26-25 in Lingerie Bowl VIII (2011) and 28-6 in Lingerie Bowl IX (2012). The team currently calls Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, their home.

In December 2019, the Legends Football League announced that they would not return for 2020. Shortly thereafter, they announced the formation of a new, rebranded league (see Los Angeles Blackstorm above).

Regular Season Win-Loss-Tie Record by Season

  • 2019 2-2-0
  • 2018 1-4-0
  • 2017 4-0-0
  • 2016 3-1-0
  • 2015 3-3-1
  • 2014 2-2-1
  • 2013* 2-1-1
  • 2011-2012 3-1-0
  • 2010-2011 3-1-0
  • 2009-2010 3-1-0

* The 2012-2013 season moved to start in 2013.

CALIFORNIA QUAKE

The California Quake was a Los Angeles area-based semi-professional women’s football team that played 15 seasons from 2001 through 2015. Their home games were played at Carson High School stadium in Carson. It affiliated in its first season with the Women’s American Football League, its second season with Women’s American Football Conference, and, since then, with the Independent Women’s Football League. In its first season in 2001-2002, the Quake defeated the Jacksonville Dixie Blues, 30-14, for the league championship. The team narrowly lost the 2010 Independent Women's Football League championship game to the Atlanta Ravens, 24-22. The team was founded by Sandy Kaneko and originally based in Long Beach. In 2008, ownership passed to 11-year veteran player Catherine B. Vivo.

Win-Loss-Tie Record by Season

  • 20151 1-6-0
  • 20141 5-2-0
  • 20131 3-5-0
  • 20121 3-6-0
  • 20111 10-1-0
  • 20101 7-2-0
  • 20091 4-4-0
  • 20081 8-1-0
  • 20071 3-5-0
  • 20061 4-4-0
  • 20051 6-3-1
  • 20041 0-8-0
  • 20031 3-5-0
  • 20022 5-5-0
  • 20013 11-2-0

1 Independent Women's Football League
2 Women's American Football Conference
3 Women's American Football League Champion

LOS ANGELES AMAZONS

The Los Angeles Amazons was a Los Angeles area-based semi-professional women’s football team that played 11 seasons from 2002 through 2012. Their home games were played at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex High School’s stadium in downtown Los Angeles. It affiliated in its first six seasons (2002-2007) with the Women’s Professional Football League, its 2008 season with the National Women’s Football Association, two seasons (2009-2012) with the Independent Women’s Football League and its final seasons (2011 and 2012) with the Women's Football Alliance. The team was founded by Aubrey Duncan.

Win-Loss-Tie Record by Season

  • 20121 0-8-0
  • 20111 1-7-0
  • 20102 4-4-0
  • 20092 8-0-0
  • 20083 8-0-0
  • 20074 7-1-0
  • 20064 4-4-0
  • 20054 7-3-0
  • 20044 4-6-0
  • 20034 2-8-0
  • 20024 1-8-0

1 Women's Football Alliance (WFA)
2 Independent Women's Football League (IWFL)
3 National Women's Football Association (NWFA)
4 Women's Professional Football League (WPFL)


The Amazons and the Quakes were not the only professional women’s football teams previously playing in the Los Angeles area:

  • The All Valley Attack, founded in 2004, was renamed the Antelope Valley Attack after an ownership change in the 2005 season. The team was renamed again before the 2007 season to the All Valley Attack. Both the team and the league to which it was affiliated (National Women's Football Association) became inactive.
  • The California Mustangs/Earthquakes played at Citrus Junior College in Glendora during the mid 1970s.
  • The Hollywood Stars, part of the short-lived Western States Women’s Professional Football League, started by the L.A. Dandelions’ owner, Russell Molzahn, 1978-1979.
  • The Long Beach Aftershock, founded in 2002, played alongside the Los Angeles Amazons in the Women's Professional Football League from 2003 through 2005. The team played at Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium and folded in the 2005 season. Playing its first season in 2002 with the (now defunct) American Football Women's League, the Aftershock won that league's championship.
  • The Long Beach Queens, part of the short-lived Western States Women’s Professional Football League, started by the L.A. Dandelions’ owner, Russell Molzahn, 1978-1979.
  • The Los Angeles Dandelions played at Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium from 1973 through 1980.
  • The Los Angeles Scandals were to play at Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys in 1984 through 1985. It could not be determined if this team actually played any games.
  • The Pasadena Roses played at Azusa College (now Azusa Pacific University) in Azusa from 1975 through 1978.

In 2015, the Women’s Football Alliance National Championship game was held at Southwest College Stadium in Los Angeles, in which the D.C. Divas defeated the Dallas Elite, 30-26.