Shane Gillis Trolls ESPYs Crowd With Joke by Introducing His Friend’s Wife as a WNBA Star

Shane Gillis left no stone unturned at the 2025 ESPY Awards held Wednesday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.

The comedian took aim at the entire WNBA in one foul swoop while he hosted the night’s events. “4-time WNBA All-Star Brittany Hicks is here. Give it up for Brittany, everybody. I'm just joking around; that's my friend's wife, I knew none of you knew WNBA players," he said as the camera showed a woman sitting in the audience.

Aside from his joke about no one knowing WNBA players, he took a direct shot at Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. “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," he said. Gillis also joked that he and the WNBA star have this in common: they are “both whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of 3s.”

He kept his foot on the neck of the sports world, this time taking a shot at NFL star Aaron Rodgers, joking about him not having taken the COVID vaccine.

“Aaron Rodgers did not take the vaccine because he predicted that it would be bad for him and then he joined the New York Jets. So maybe he wasn’t right about everything,” he said.

Elsewhere in his monologue, the Philly comedian gave his interpretation of Trump and joked about the latest hot topic: the supposed Jeffrey Epstein client list.

Gillis kept the laughs coming during the ESPYs with a comedy sketch featuring himself and Druski, in which he paid homage to the Philadelphia Eagles. In the sketch, he tries to explain what a "Tush Push" is, but faces some pushback from Druski.

Gillis also flamed Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, University of North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson, and O.J. Simpson. Aside from the jokes, here are athletes who won awards during the ceremony.

Back in June, ESPN announced that Gillis would host the 33rd ESPY Awards.

At the 2025 ESPY Awards, Simone Biles won Best Championship Performance for her Olympic gymnastics all-around, Saquon Barkley took home Best Play for his backwards hurdle, Sloane Stephens received the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, and Best NBA Player went to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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