ESPY Awards Shower Kudos on Women as Host Shane Gillis Delivers Edgy Jokes About Female Athletes

Host Shane Gillis brought his trademark brand of combative humor to the opening monologue of Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards in Hollywood, drawing a mixed response from the audience of professional athletes and Hollywood celebrities.

The host’s jabs came in contrast to the high volume of kudos bestowed on major figures in women’s sports, including gymnast Simone Biles, rugby star Ilona Maher, recently retired soccer superstar Alex Morgan, retired WNBA great Diana Taurasi, tennis star Sloane Stephens and Penn State volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. Olympic gymnast Suni Lee got the nod for best comeback athlete, a gender mixed category.

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Morgan and Taurasi were jointly honored with the ESPYs Icon Award for their work beyond the game to advance women’s sports and improve working conditions for players.

“The way you opened up doors for women outside the game is legendary,” Taurasi told Morgan. The two-time Olympic soccer medalist noted “We both fought to leave our game in a better place than when we found it.”

Morgan added that their advocacy for pay equity for female athletes built on a foundation established by earlier generations. “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” Morgan said. “Thanks to them, we never have to apologize for speaking up or fighting to raise the bar.”

Schumacher-Cawley, who is battling breast cancer, received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. She spoke eloquently about how her training as an athlete in team sports helped her wage war with cancer.

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“That jersey we wear means everything, and the bond we share is unbreakable,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “Sports are amazing, and these women and the women that came before have set the stage to where we are now.”

Gillis acknowledged several times that the jokes were not landing. In one example, the “Tires” star said, “Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC Fight on the White House lawn. The last time he staged a fight in DC, Mike Pence almost died.” The response was lukewarm, followed by a few scattered claps and cheers. Gillis then told the audience, “Alright, you don’t have to do that. It was fine, I didn’t write it.”

Gillis salvaged the moment with another joke at Donald Trump’s expense. He said, “Actually, there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted. Probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed.”

Gillis also took aim at WNBA star point guard Caitlin Clark. He started by joking, “It’s been a big year for the WNBA. I love Caitlin Clark. She and I have a lot in common. We’re both whites from the Midwest who have nailed a lot of threes.” Behind a so-so reaction, Gillis added, “There you go, lighten up a little. It’s not serious. We’ll see about this one.”

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Gillis then delivered a line that also fell flat in the Dolby Theater, “When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist-fighting Black women.”

Other highlights of the 2025 ESPYs included the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage to pioneering Black basketball player Oscar Robinson, who founded the NBA Players Assn.

Previous ESPYS hosts have included both sports legends and big screen talents. Those who have hosted the ESPN award show include Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, Anthony Mackie, Tracy Morgan, Danica Patrick and Peyton Manning.

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