Host Shane Gillis brought his combative humor to the monologue of the ESPY Awards, drawing a mixed response on a night dominated by female winners.

During his opening monologue, Gillis nodded to the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, who couldn’t make the ceremony owing to her travel schedule with the team. After noting he and Clark had both “nailed a bunch of threes,

I liked Shane Gillis’ ESPYS monologue. As a 30-something-year-old white guy who lives in Ohio and subscribes to his podcast’s Patreon, I was probably always going to. Still, I’m aware enough to know that a not-insignificant part of Gillis’ appeal is that what he says is sometimes going to offend people.

The former USWNT soccer player and WNBA star Diana Taurasi were honored with the Icon Award at the 2025 ESPY Awards in “recognition of their incredible careers and significant impact on the world of sports.”