The Best College Athlete, Women's Sports ESPY caps the 2025-26 college season, and the 2026 award comes down to a four-woman field: UCLA basketball's Lauren Betts, Pittsburgh volleyball's Olivia Babcock, Oklahoma gymnast Faith Torrez, and Northwestern lacrosse's Madison Taylor. Betts is the market's favorite on Kalshi after leading UCLA to its first national title. The live board above ranks every nominee ahead of the ESPYS on July 15, 2026.
The ESPY for Best College Athlete, Women's Sports is the night's headline honor for the best individual season in women's college sports, and the 2026 edition pits four champions against each other. The field is UCLA basketball's Lauren Betts, Pittsburgh volleyball's Olivia Babcock, Oklahoma gymnast Faith Torrez, and Northwestern lacrosse's Madison Taylor. Each won the biggest prize in her sport during the 2025-26 season, which is exactly why the fan vote is a real contest. Betts is the market's favorite on Kalshi, and the live board above ranks all four nominees ahead of the ceremony on July 15, 2026.
Betts is the reason the 2026 Best College Athlete, Women's Sports race has a clear front-runner. The UCLA center led the Bruins to the first national championship in program history and was named the 2026 NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player after posting double-doubles against Texas and South Carolina in the Final Four. She swept the Big Ten's top honors as both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and she added the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award nationally. A national title plus a signature tournament run is the profile that has won this ESPY more than any other, and like many past winners she is bound for the pros, where the Best WNBA Player ESPY odds already trade. That is why Kalshi traders have her out front on the board above.
Babcock is the strongest challenger, and her resume does not lean on a single tournament. The Pittsburgh outside hitter was named AVCA National Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, one of only five players ever to repeat, and she added ACC Player of the Year honors in 2025. She averaged 5.11 kills per set and set a Pittsburgh single-match record with 45 kills against North Carolina. No volleyball player has ever won this award, so a Babcock upset in the Best College Athlete, Women's Sports vote would be historic on two fronts. The board above has her second behind Betts.
Torrez and Taylor give the 2026 Best College Athlete, Women's Sports ballot two more champions from outside the marquee sports. Faith Torrez won the Honda Award as the nation's top collegiate gymnast, took the NCAA all-around title, and recorded a perfect 10 on beam during the NCAA regionals while helping Oklahoma to its eighth team national championship. Madison Taylor won the Tewaaraton Award, the highest individual honor in college lacrosse, and led Northwestern to the NCAA title. Gymnastics and lacrosse have historically been long shots for this ESPY, and the board above reflects that, but both athletes carry the single best season in their sport into the vote.
Basketball dominates the history of this award. JuJu Watkins of USC won in 2025, and Iowa's Caitlin Clark won it in both 2024 and 2023 during her record-breaking run to becoming the NCAA's all-time leading scorer. Oklahoma softball star Jocelyn Alo took the 2022 award after setting the NCAA career home run record, and UConn guard Paige Bueckers won in 2021 as a freshman. The category was renamed from Best Female College Athlete to Best College Athlete, Women's Sports in 2021. From 2018 through 2020 the ESPYS used a single gender-neutral Best College Athlete award, so no separate women's honor was given in those three years. In the earlier era, California swimmer Missy Franklin won in 2015, UConn's Breanna Stewart won in 2016, and Florida softball pitcher Kelly Barnhill won in 2017, while Maya Moore's three straight wins from 2009 to 2011 remain the most by any athlete. If Betts wins, she extends basketball's grip on the award. A Babcock, Torrez, or Taylor win would be a rare crossover to another sport.
The 2026 Best College Athlete, Women's Sports ESPY is decided at the ESPYS on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, airing on ESPN at 8pm ET from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. ESPY winners are chosen by public fan voting conducted through ESPN in the weeks before the show, and the result becomes final when it is announced live during the broadcast. Each nominee contract on the board resolves to the winner the moment the award is presented.
The ESPYS honor the entire sports year, and the college race sits alongside the night's biggest individual and team honors. Track the Best Athlete, Women's Sports ESPY odds to see how the pros and Olympians stack up, the Best Athlete, Men's Sports ESPY odds on the other side of that race, and the Best Team ESPY odds for the year's top squads. For every award race on the board, browse the full sports prediction markets hub.
Resolves to the athlete named Best College Athlete, Women's Sports at the 2026 ESPYS, which air on ESPN on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. ESPY winners are determined by public fan voting conducted through ESPN ahead of the ceremony, and the result becomes official when it is announced live during the broadcast. Each nominee contract pays $1 per share if that athlete is named the winner and $0 if not, and a tie contract is listed for the rare case of co-winners. If the award is not presented or the ceremony is canceled, the market resolves per platform-specific rules.
As of July 11, 2026, Kalshi priced Lauren Betts as the clear favorite at 62c, with Olivia Babcock next at 20c and Faith Torrez and Madison Taylor further back. The live board above shows the current price on every nominee.
It is presented at the 2026 ESPYS on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, airing on ESPN at 8pm ET from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The market resolves the moment the winner is announced live.
Four athletes: Lauren Betts (UCLA basketball), Olivia Babcock (Pittsburgh volleyball), Faith Torrez (Oklahoma gymnastics), and Madison Taylor (Northwestern lacrosse). Each won the top prize in her sport in the 2025-26 season.
Lauren Betts is the market's favorite on Kalshi after leading UCLA to its first national championship and winning 2026 NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player. Basketball has won this ESPY 14 times, more than any other sport.
ESPY winners are decided by public fan voting through ESPN that closes ahead of the show, so watch how each fan base turns out before the July 15, 2026 ceremony. The winner is revealed live during the broadcast.