Shane Gillis hosting the ESPYs

Shane Gillis was in rare form on Wednesday night.

The Los Angeles Dolby Theatre crowd knew what they were getting when Gillis stepped up to host the 2025 ESPYs.

The WNBA found itself as the butt of many jokes on the night.

Gillis was midway through applauding standout achievements from the year in sports when he pivoted to New York basketball. He went right at the New York Liberty.

“And the New York Liberty. New York..classy town from north-east where they invented America. Oh wait, that’s also Philadelphia. It was nice to see a basketball team from New York win something.”

Gillis was clearly referring to the Liberty’s historic championship run in 2024 while landing a direct hit on the Knicks. The Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx in a thrilling five-game 2024 WNBA Finals series last fall.

He was just getting started.

Shane Gillis 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,” he said as the camera showed a woman in the crowd.

“I’m just joking around; that’s my friend’s wife, I knew none of you knew WNBA players,” he said.


Brutal.

Shane Gillis Also Mentioned Caitlin Clark

Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Comedian Shane Gillis (M) looks on during the second quarter of action between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Host Shane Gillis brought his trademark brand of combative humor to the opening monologue of Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards.

There was perhaps no better example of this dynamic than his joke about the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark.

While the ESPYs named her WNBA Player of the Year, Gillis decided to take a major shot at her.

“It’s a big year for the WNBA. I love Caitlin Clark,” he said.

“Caitlin Clark, she and I have a lot in common. We’re both whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of threes.”

He then added: “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.”