The Billie Jean King Foundation, Associated Press Sports Editors and the APSE Foundation are proud to announce the finalists for the third annual Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage.
The finalists were chosen from a group of 61 entries received through the month of April. A panel of 21 judges prepared and read the entries to determine the finalists.
“This is an exciting list of 15 finalists that not only happens to be more evenly spread among the four categories; it also includes writers from organizations of nearly every size from all corners of the U.S.,” APSE President Paul Barrett said. “The Billie Jean King Award is shining a new light on women’s sports, as well as the reporters who cover them. I’m grateful that APSE and its membership have wholeheartedly embraced this endeavor with the Billie Jean King Foundation.”
Journalists entered a portfolio of four stories, published in 2025, that include reporting about girls and women’s sports. Entries included live coverage, feature reporting and commentary about high school, college, amateur and professional sports.
For the second year, the contest was split into the following categories:
• Pro sports
• College sports
• High school/community sports
• At-large (combination of sports, column writing, etc.)
The number of finalists in each category was determined by the number of entries submitted. The finalists, by category and listed in alphabetical order, are:
PRO SPORTS:
• Alexa Philippou, ESPN.com
• Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune
• Jonathan Tannenwald, The Philadelphia Inquirer
COLLEGE SPORTS:
• Cora Hall, Knoxville News Sentinel
• Amie Just, Lincoln Journal Star
• Eden Laase, Freelancer
HIGH SCHOOLS/COMMUNITY SPORTS:
• Brian Haenchen, IndyStar
• Cassidy Hettesheimer, The Minnesota Star Tribune
• Greg Riddle, The Dallas Morning News
AT-LARGE:
• Rachel Axon, Sports Business Journal
• Katie Barnes, ESPN
• Aishwarya Kumar, ESPN
• Danielle Lerner, Houston Chronicle
• Gina Mizell, The Philadelphia Inquirer
• Hailey Salvian, The Athletic
The award includes a $5,000 grant from the Billie Jean King Foundation. The winner will be announced later this month.
The Billie Jean King Foundation is a living extension of the purpose-driven life of Billie Jean King, dedicated to creating an equitable future for all through the power of sports, education and activism. As a non-profit, the Foundation partners with diverse organizations to bridge unlocked human potential with equal opportunity.
“It is an honor to partner with the Associated Press Sports Editors and the APSE Foundation to celebrate and elevate the media coverage of women’s sports,” said Therese O’Higgins, Executive Director of the Billie Jean King Foundation. “The Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage is an incredibly important initiative to Billie Jean and her namesake Foundation, and something we want to develop and grow year after year, bringing more attention to women’s sports around the world.”
This award is a continuation of APSE’s mission of annually recognizing professional excellence in sports journalism with a wide-ranging national contest. APSE’s members currently include 200 news organizations of all sizes from around the nation.
The contest was administered by APSE through First Vice President and Contest Chair Perryn Keys.
