No shit? Hmm. Didn't know that but it makes sense.
I wonder if some of it also has to do with smaller leg muscle structure. Men have stronger legs which has to also add stability to the knee joint. @CP87 is a human biology prof at the U, maybe he has some wisdom for us.
The wider pelvis, and resulting greater knee valgus deviation (measured as Q angle) is definitely part of it, as the ACL is stretched under valgus deviation.
There is also some evidence for a narrower femoral notch...the ACL runs through this notch, and if narrower, might push laterally on the ACL during loading, especially with more valgus collapse.
Women's connective tissue (CT) is also weaker during certain points of the menstrual cycle...this is an evolutionary thing relating to child birth. You need a very flexible pelvis to fit a big head through there, so when the estrogen
Your idea also has merit. ACL injury risk is higher with a more extended knee. The ACL is torn by the individual's quad muscles, which when they are trying to generate a large knee extensor torque, concurrently pull the tibia forward relative to the femur. This anterior shear of the tibia is exactly the movement the ACL prevents.
With an extended knee, the patellar tendon creates quite a bit of anterior shear. As the knee flexes, the femur rolls back, so now the patellar tendon is pulling straight up on the tibia (no more shear, all compression). So, you can't tear your ACL when your knees are flexed (at least not a non-contact ACL mechanism, which is the majority of ACL tears). Women tend to perform cutting and landing maneuvers with a more fully extended knee compared to men, presumably due to weaker musculature (deeper knee bend leads to greater lever arms and hence greater torques).
Sorry, probably more than you wanted.