The appearance by the soccer team capped a day in which they are celebrated on both coasts. The players flew to Los Angeles for The ESPYs after a ticker-tape parade in New York on Wednesday morning.
"It's been an incredible journey...I'm super proud of all of these 22 fabulous ladies, so props to all of you," Carli Lloyd said. "Thank you so much, and here's to another World Cup in four years."
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"All those in favor of equal pay say 'Aye,'" actress Sandra Bullock said as she presented the award, a nod to the team's public calls for gender equality.
Click here for a full list of 2019 ESPYS winners.
Players filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the federation earlier this year, alleging ongoing "institutionalized gender discrimination" that includes unequal pay with their counterparts on the men's national team.
The women's team has often championed equal rights issues and sought more equitable pay during collective bargaining two years ago.
"I think a lot of people look to us and our team and the collective voice that we have and what we've stood for, for inspiration and for power, and as an ally in this broader fight for equality and human rights, really," winger Megan Rapinoe, a co-captain and veteran of 149 international appearances, said in March.
The 28 members of the current women's player pool filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, was filed on International Women's Day. Players seek damages that include back pay.
The U.S. Soccer Federation later formally denied allegations of gender discrimination.
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Team member Alex Morgan was dubbed Best Female Athlete earlier in the telecast.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.